Still A Need For Heroes
by keeper37
Summary: "Takes place five years after the final defeat of Eggman. The heroes of Mobius are no longer needed like how they were in the years past and have moved onto to living new lives. But a new threat slowly arises and the heroes are needed once more." Extensive with a deep plot, just a heads up.
1. Old Heroes, New Lives

Please take note this story was started in early 2012. With that being said, I intended to write this story as close to the comics as possible but that is a very hard thing to do since the comics keep updating and changing. Also please note that I wrote this based on the material from the comics presented to me in early 2012. So if there happens to be a pairing you don't agree with (and hey, I might not agree with it either), just suck it up and read the story. It's not a 'shipping' story it's an adventure story so you shouldn't even be worried about that kind of thing.

See the A/N below for more details.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: I am making this as just another adventure for what happens in the Mobius Prime timeline of the Archie Comics after the final defeat of Dr. Eggman (because it is going to happen eventually, most likely at the end of the comics–possibly at issue 250). Since the current year in the comic is 3237, I want to make sure everyone notes that in this story Eggman was defeated in 3238 as I will be referring to that date often. This is only for age and reference purposes (I will make a list of ages and date toward the bottom of this page).

As with all my stories, I try to make them as canon as possible so I am basing this solely on the mural in the library in Silver's future as that is supposed to be Mobius Prime in 200 years (StH: 215). It depicts the '5 Years Later' timeline in the altered MxYL story arc. So don't be mad about the pairings because according to the comics, they are canon.

*Side Note* I would consider all of MxYL as canon but the only thing that throws me off is Locke not dying to stop Enerjak as he did in the comics

**Another Side Note* I would like to do a story about how Lara-su gets a statue commemorated to her in Portal on Onyx Island in Silver's future but that might be revealed in the comics so I'll let that one be.

***Another Side Note (I need to stop this)* My story includes how some pairings occurred but that might end up being explained in the comics anyways… Oh well. But then again, if Silver succeeds in finding the 'traitor' in the Freedom Fighters, that might disrupt his future which could throw off all of what was 'canon' in his time, changing everything to make it all an alternate reality…. My head hurts.

Screw it. This is just (another) alternate universe in the Archie Sonic Universe. There. Now it's 100% canon.

Anyway, onto the story…

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><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 1: Old Heroes, New Lives

It took many years for Mobius to finally see the last of Dr. Robotnik, The Eggman, Julian Kintobor, Robo-Robotnik, or any of the other many aliases the mad scientist held. Defeated in the year 3238, the man saw the last of a thirteen year reign of terror on the planet in a cataclysmic loss which almost resulted in the lives of the many that continuously fought against his rule.

Though the end of the 2nd Robotnik War marked new beginnings and the promise of hope for the inhabitants of Mobius, it did not however bring about any sudden happiness that the people desired for so long. The land was devastated; thousands of settlements and cities lay waste. The people were displaced; millions were captured and only few managed to escape causing them to find refuge in foreign lands, live in hiding, or rebuild from a shattered life. And like any war, the casualties were horrific; hundreds of thousands of lives were taken.

During the 1st Robotnik War, those killed were only those who showed resistance while millions were roboticized and turned into metal slaves of the tyrant. But as that war concluded with the defeat of Dr. Ivo Robotnik in 3235, Robo-Robotnik arose in his place with more sinister plans. At the hands of The Eggman during the 2nd Robotnik War, much of the Mobian population lost their lives including over 90% of the entire Echidna race, the entire Golden Hive Colony, and nearly all those who fought in the battlefield and wastelands to ensure freedom. Occupying forces and organizations arose, and new forms of terrorism such as legionization were exploited to a great extent. Civil War broke out in amongst different ethnic and cultural faction and numerous conflicts ensured. Friends were lost, heroes died, and the rest were left to deal with the tragedies that overcame the planet in the past decade and a half.

The current year is 3243, five years after the final defeat of Robotnik, and much of the planet is still undergoing reconstruction.

Albion has been receiving provisional supplies to help the Echidna population there while Angel Island is being restores to its pre-occupation status. The Dingoes in The Sandopolis Zone reluctantly agreed under Helmut Von Stryker to rejoin Echidna society and to try to assimilate with them peacefully.

Bill of the Platypus Dark Egg Legion carried out his duties as Grand Master to take control of the Downunda Chapter after Robotnik's defeat but being a double agent for the Freedom Fighters for a majority of the time, he was able to successfully disband the Chapter and the legionized platypuses were placed under surveillance as they tried to incorporate themselves back into normal society.

The Dragon Kingdom and Wolf Pack Nation remained stable under the rules of Monkey Khan and Lupe. After much negotiation (mostly between Bunnie and her uncle), the dismays in the Great Desert and Sand Blast City were being put to rest. Deerwood Forest and Mercia has been kept in check for a long time now, since the removal of the High Sheriff many years prior, under Rob O' the Hedge and his wife Mari-an with help from the Crazy Critter Freedom Fighters.

Since the destruction of New Mobotropolis after the rise of the Babylon Garden and the following turmoil that ensured with the Ixis conflict, the citizens were again at a loss of a home. (*A/N – This is assuming that the 'loss' that is suspected to occur in Sonic 234 is the destruction of New Mobotropolis.*) King Elias designated a new area to become the capital of the Republic of Acorn near the edge of the Great Forest. Considering the location held such significance during the constant underground efforts against Robotnik, _Acorn City_ was marked as a symbol to the efforts of the Mobians during the 1st and 2nd Robotnik Wars and as a new beginning in a world of peace.

The world was starting to rise out of chaos again. But though the law and land are healing their wounds quickly, lives are still shattered and will be harder to rebuild.

Knuckles never got over the atrocities he committed as Enerjak and forever blamed himself for the severe loss of numbers in the Echidna race, despite how rapidly they were rising from the ashes. Him Julie-su and The Chaotix remain, for the most part, on Angel Island to watch over and protect the floating island but still use the warp rings of Dr. Finitevus to travel to aid others when called to it.

Mina and the Forget Me Knots got over their fears of NICOLE and without the exaggerated fear brought by Ixis Naugus, the people were able to accept the AI as a Freedom Fighter and disregarded the 'threats' they thought she possessed.

NICOLE has become an active member of the society as she found a more stable state for her artificial body. Almost always remaining in her artificial body, she has been able to work on her subsystems practically only from remote, giving her the freedom she so desired. She was integrated into the central command of Acorn City and helps regulate many of the functions of the republic.

Though still a member of the Council, Rotor often tinkered with new toys in his spare time. He, at the request of Bunnie, was able to create special gloves and boots which granted Mrs. D'Coolette almost all her special abilities that she had as half-robot. She enjoyed being completely flesh and bone again but missed the freedom she had before. Now able to have the best of both worlds, her and Antoine were finally settling down like a married couple should.

Sonic and Sally had been only recently wedded. They dated for quite some time instead of quickly tying the knot, for fear of what happened last time they decided to move a little too fast. Ash had proposed to Mina a few weeks ago but they were preparing for another tour soon so they put the wedding on hold for a while. Knuckles and Julie-su still had no interests in an official marriage but they were so committed, it almost seems as though they already were conjugal.

The cogs were turning again for the disrupted planet. Many of the heroes of the war at first were at a loss of what to do next, having fought all their lives and now there was no more fighting left to be done. They were not too particular about playing 'clean-up' but Sally, still in command of the Knothole Freedom Fighters, made sure everyone did their part.

*o*

"And where do you think you're going?"

'Shit.' Sonic thought as he tried to sneak out of bed early to avoid work and hoping for a day off. "Hey Sal. I was just…getting ready for the day!" His terrible poker face and cheeky grin did nothing to sell his case.

"Uh huh." She said with half a grin and a raised eyebrow. She gently tossed back the sheets of the bed and scooted herself back a bit to have her back rest upon the headboard of the bed.

"Nothing?" He questioned to see if his lie had even the slightest success.

"Nope." She affirmed with crossed arms.

The hedgehog let out a heavy sigh, dropping his shoulders as he moved over to sit on the side of the bed. He let his head hang low a little as his chin rested in a cupped hand while the other was drooped over his knee, somewhat in a 'Thinker' pose. "Can we not just have one day off? We've been working none stop for the past forever."

"Sonic, it's not that bad. Besides," she playfully smirked, "it's not like you have put forth the greatest of efforts."

"I'm a hero Sally, I have a need for speed! These mobitarian efforts are not suiting me." He complained.

"Sonic. You know very well you are 'prince' now. You have to accept at least some responsibilities." She said sternly.

"Yeah… But I bet Freedom HQ has been getting pretty dusty." He said turning his head slightly and letting a few teeth show through a smile.

There was a pause before Sally rolled her eyes and gave in to her husband's plea. "Alright, alright. We can stop early and take half the day off."

"Good enough for me!" He said as his head popped up.

"Now hurry up and get ready. Elias wants us to meet with the Mountain Faction and get a sitrep of the reactor up there. Apparently it's been having some 'technical difficulties.'" She explained as she got out of bed and headed toward the bathroom.

"Technical difficulties… " And in an instant he was behind the princess as she starred at the mirror, running a brush through her auburn hair. "Does that mean we're bringing Tails?" Sonic said, hopeful.

"Who else would be better for the job?" She smiled.

...

The mechanical genius was not too hard to find, figuring he would be at the city tech lab tinkering with some toy. So Sonic and Sally were not surprised when that was exactly where he was. "Little bro, what's up!" Sonic said as he walked up to the two-tailed fox, his hand breaking away from Sally's grip and lengthening his stride to meet his friend even but a few seconds sooner than if he'd kept his original pace.

He raised his hand up in the air beckoning for a high five. Tails was tightening on a socket, from what looked like from outside eyes, a jumble of wires and metal. He turned the wrench one last time before returning Sonic's greeting with the high five he asked for. "Nothing much Sonic. Just finishing up the ionic charger for a project of mine." The fox stood tall with a wrench in one hand and the other resting on his hip. He adopted a signature handkerchief that he wore around his neck and a pair of old aviator goggles that rested on top of his head. He had grown considerably as well since the death of Eggman and now stood even taller than Sonic and Sally. The two haven't grown as much in said time, being almost fully matured during Robotnik's final battle, but the entire trio's physical appearance definitely matched their current age. Tails turned his greeting to Sally as she made her way up to the scene. "Hey Aunt Sally!"

"Doesn't that bring back memories. How's it going Tails?"

"Pretty good. What do you guys need?" He asked, figuring they weren't there for small talk.

"King Elias wants Sonic and I to take the Freedom Fighter Special 2 to the Mountain Faction to examine the reactor there. Apparently it has been a bit screwy lately and we were wondering if you'd help us figure out what's wrong with it?"

"Sure, no problem! I'd love to go out on a job with you guys. Just like old times right?" He said happily to oblige.

"Alright, let's do it to it." Sonic said as they began making their way through Acorn City to the airstrip. "So what've you been up to Tails?"

"Well mainly I've been occupied with work. The company is researching the effects of particle collisions and we haven't really worked out the 'kinks' in the accelerator yet. Other than that, I've been spending the weekends working on a new turbine for the Sea Fox. That ionic charger I was fiddling with when you two showed up was part of it. I'm curious as to going supersonic in water. The thicker medium might make breaching the sound barrier reverberate the waves differently causing varying effects." The little engineer explained.

"That's great Tails. Interesting I might add." Sally coined.

"Pfsh, who needs to go supersonic underwater? I can just run that fast over the water!" Sonic stated, displaying his usual ego.

"So Sonic, how do you like being a prince?" The fox questioned with a jesting grin.

Sonic was merely able to open his mouth to speak before Sally cut in, allowing no words to escape the hedgehog's mouth. "He _loves_ it." She said, jabbing her elbow playfully in his side. Tails let out a little chuckle at the couple, noting how not even through the years he could see them with anyone else but each other.

Since there was no direct need for the Freedom Fighters anymore, they had to make their livings elsewhere now that they were adults and living on their own. Tails, even though he was only at the young age of 18, picked up an intern-like job at a scientific research company as an engineer. Sonic was lucky enough to marry into royalty so he didn't have to worry about income; only had to worry about obliging to his princely duties. One of which included the job he was about to embark on. But this was a good change of pace for the speedster. Normally he and Sally were stuck delegating some new policy to the council or more often working as 'mobitarians,' trying to rebuild a destroyed world. But when Tails said it was 'just like old times,' Sonic couldn't help but feel a bit lighter toward this task. He only wished the rest of his battle buddies were there with him.

They came into view of the airstrip a bit off in the distance. "I sure do miss being a Freedom Fighter." Tails said, reflecting on years past.

"You're telling me bud. Can't tell you how many times I just have to go out and stretch these old legs o' mine." Sonic chimed as Sally rolled her eyes, wishing Tails did not go there.

"But fortunately for you, nothing stops you." She smiled. She tried not to think back on the FF days. "I can't do much to quench my thirst. There is not a whole lot of tactical planning needed in a peaceful world. Not that I don't want peace or anything!" She quickly defended her words.

"Nah, it's okay Sal. I got what you mean."

"Yeah, we all need some action every once in a while." Tails said as they continued their approach on the airstrip. "Is Antoine or Bunnie going to be in on this?" He asked, remembering the jet's main pilot and his inseparable partner.

"No. I offered to Elias that Antoine pilot us as he normally is the one to do so but he assured he needed the Commander for a different job currently." Antoine was still at the rank of Commander and worked, along with Bunnie, beside the king.

"Dang, I was hoping." The young adult fox said with a slightly saddened tone.

"Look at it this way, now you get to fly the Special, big guy." She smiled.

Tails just smiled back. The fact that he was now an adult was slowly impacting him. He spent his whole life trying to prove to the others that he should be included with his older friends but now that everyone was on their own, he was realizing that meant to say goodbye a lot sooner. Though they all worked separately, thankfully they have still kept in touch and often got together on the weekends for a party or something.

"Well here we are." Sally said as they made it to the airstrip.

They walked up to the flightline to check in. Sonic opened the door and held it for his two friends before entering after them.

"Since when was Sonic such the gentleman?" Tails chuckled quietly to Sally.

"Oh don't worry, that ego is still as strong as ever." She smiled back.

"What was that?" The hedgehog asked as he thought he heard someone mumble his name.

"Nothing." His wife said as they walked up to the front desk where a dog was clicking away on a computer.

"We are here to check in for our departure on the FFS 2." The princess said as she handed the canine a key card. He checked it, and ran it through the computer. A few beeps and clicks later, he handed it back to her.

"It's all yours ma'am. Nicole is prepping it now."

"Thanks."

"Is she coming with us?" Tails asked.

"Well, essentially. She'll be helping pilot but she won't be 'with' us." She said, trying to explain.

"Ah." He replied, knowing what she meant.

They stepped outside where the jet was warming its engines.

"Alright, I'll see you later then." They heard Nicole say.

Sonic was the first to enter the craft as the hatch was open waiting them. "Who were you talking to Nicole?"

The cybernetic lynx was standing there and quickly turned around, obviously surprised at the hedgehog's appearance. "Oh! Oh, no one. Ready?" She said casually. Sonic looked around the ship but couldn't see anything so he shrugged his shoulders and let it go.

"Alright, we're all here." Sally said, following Tails onboard. She turned to a panel next to the door and typed in a code to close the door but it wouldn't close. "That's odd." She typed it again but the same event occurred. "Nicole, why is the door not closing?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry." She said, resting her paw on her head and closing her eyes as if in thought. Sally mindlessly took half a step back and felt something brush up against her but she didn't focus much on it as Nicole had just solved the more serious issue. "There, should be good now." Sally tried one more time and the hatch successfully closed. "I'll be working with you all remotely so once I see you all get settled, I'll be heading out." She said as the trio sat down and buckled up. She soon vaporized in the normal green and black digital flash and disappeared. Her face cropped up on a dash monitor of the jet as her voice sounded with it. "Alright, taking off in three…two…one…zero." And just like that, they felt the rumble of the jet lifting off the ground. "Tails, I will let you assume control once we have exited Acorn City airspace.

"Gotcha." The fox said, wagging his twin tails subconsciously.

It was not long before Nicole's voice sounded off in the cabin of the jet again. "Leaving Acorn City Airspace in five, four, three…" Tails reached out and pulled the joystick toward him, ready take assume control of the ship. "…two, one." The fox felt a kick as the adjustment from auto to manual switched in but he quickly compensated. He turned flicked the steering device to a sharp left throwing them into a barrel roll.

"Tails!" Sally shouted at the unexpected maneuver.

"Sorry, just wanted a little fun." He said with a grin. "Display coordinates." He commanded as a mapping feature blew up on a partial screen to the right of the display. "ETA two hours, thirty-seven minutes. We should be crossing through the mountains in about an hour less than out expected travel time. And it looks like," He said as he flicked his paws on some buttons on the dash as more displays appeared, the current one of atmospheric properties on their projected course. "we might be running into some bad weather in that region but nothing I can't handle. Just expect a little turbulence."

"Sounds good buddy." Sonic chimed in.

"You know I could have told you that." Nicole said in a smart, joking tone.

"Sorry Nicole, just thought since I was the pilot." The bashful fox admitted, not entirely picking up on the AI's sarcasm.

"It's okay Tails, I'm only joking."

...

Time passed by pretty quickly as much of the trip was spent with normal conversation. Once they came up on a good LZ for the Special in close proximity of the reactor they were to look into, Tails kicked off the afterburners and switched on the vertical landing boosts. And oh so gently, he lowered the craft. "Aaaannnnd." A small and typical tremble occurred signifying that they had landed. "We have landed." Tails said as she threw back the controls and unbuckled to get up and stretch.

"Alright, I will monitor the FF Special 2 while you all are away. Good luck!" Nicole said cheerfully as the three passengers left the craft and stepped into the cold and deep mountain snow. It was lightly drizzling with tiny flakes and the wind was strong but the facility that housed the reactor was close by so they did not mind the extremes of the mountains for a short time.

They had made it to the facility and inside Tails shook off the little bit of condensed air that stuck to his fur in the short time he was outside. Sonic and Sally just walked in and instantly started looking around. It was obvious as to what was the reactor as a large cylindrical device stood near the back wall of the small building.

"Cozy." Sonic sarcastically stated from the looks of the cold and worn down structure. It was mostly metallic and rust was not shy around many of the tiles that made up the walls. It was clearly old and in need of a little renovation but that was not their mission.

"I'll say. Come on, let's take a look at the reactor." Sally said as she kept moving forward. She pulled out a small data pad that showed the schematics of the place. "According to this, it looks like we need to access the terminal which is far from the apparatus of the reactor."

"English Sally?" Sonic asked.

"We need to get up there." She said, pointing to a small platform located near the top of the tall structure. "Only thing is, the stairway to reach it has collapsed." She continued as she moved over to the backside of the reactor and found a jumbled pile of rusted scraps on the ground underneath where a section of the metal stairs once stood.

"Shouldn't be a problem, huh Tails?" He said as he turned to his old friend.

"Not at all." He said beginning to take flight. "Need a lift Sally?" He grabbed her hand and the two took off to the top of their objective.

"Great, so what am I going to do in the mean time?" The grounded hedgehog complained, being a little bored and feeling slightly useless.

"Just don't touch anything." His wife ordered. She then focused her attention on the job at hand. "Ok first things first," She tried to open up a small panel that was covering the processing unit of the reactor but it was either rusted on, jammed, or stiff from the cold. "getting this damn thing off." She finished. She tried again to open it but her struggle was apparent. After her constant effort for the past minute or so, it just budged a little. "Uh, I give up." She said, getting out a little handheld gadget that looked similar to a soldering iron. She pressed the point on the panel's hatch and it glowed red. She proceeded to move it around the hatch until she heard a click. The panel creaked open slowly. Sally took the hatch and broke it off from the rest of the panel. "Not like it did much anyway." She grinned to Tails. "Now let's take a look."

Meanwhile, "Hmph. Don't touch anything." Sonic said as he walked around examining the place. He moved over to a peculiar looking electrical box that was attached to a pipeline that led straight into the ground. He opened it up and gazed at the large number of switches and buttons.

Tails and Sally took a moment to exam what they were looking at back at the top of the reactor. "It's as though the core controls shorted out but…" Tails stopped mid-sentence. He reached in the garble of wires and processor chips and pulled out a small box with all the wires still attached, and looking as if it was brand new. "the controls are perfectly fine. And I mean really perfect! There is nothing wrong with the thing at all." He said, still examining the artifact. He took the data pad from Sally and unhooked some wires from the reactor, plugging them into the pad to delve deeper into the schematics.

"Well how do you explain the fluctuations we've been picking up recently back at Acorn if the controls haven't faltered any?"

"I don't know. But fixing the problem should be simple. All I have to do is…" He said as he rewired a few things and toiled with the data pad. He typed a few things into a program on the handheld device and suddenly, a light flashed inside the reactor's brain. "Done."

"Alright, good work Tails!" Sally celebrated. "Now let's just–" Her abrupt interruption was caused by a large rumbling and a complete shutdown of power at the reactor.

"Whoops." Was heard by the duo from the whispering hedgehog on the ground below.

"Sonic!" Sally shouted.

"I didn't do anything." He said nonchalantly.

"I bet." She scorned but another shaking erupted which tossed the two off the high platform. "Wah!" She quickly grabbed onto Tails who was already in flight the split second after they were thrown. They landed safely on the ground next to Sonic and the electrical box he was previously investigating. The limited natural light in the facility was just enough for them to be able to see where they were going.

Another rumbling occurred. "What's going on?" The Blue Blur said as he was about ready to high tail it out of the area at top speed.

Tails was already over by the switchboard inside the electrical box and was looking around. "Hard to say. Anybody have a light?"

"Not the best time for a smoke don't you think buddy?" The hedgehog added.

"Not that Sonic. Here." Sally pulled out a small flashlight and shined it where the fox was focusing his sight.

"The reactor is trying to work with the fuel line shut down. Think of it as a gun trying to fire a bullet with no gunpowder. That's what's causing the shaking. The whole place is unstable!"

Sally glared over at Sonic sending the mental message, 'what did I say?' Sonic picked up instantly on her expression and rebuked. "In my defense, it was labeled as only a secondary caution." He joked as Sally knew he was just toying with her.

"Ugh." Tails tried to reverse the switch but it wasn't budging. Another large quake shook the building. "The switch somehow fused to the board. I don't think it was ever intended to be turned over." He explained.

"Come on little bro, there has got to be something!" Sonic urged but while he was speaking, the younger fox was already working on it. He flipped the main power to stand-by, hit a couple of the buttons and pulled out the entire power board that held the fused switch. Sparks flew everywhere and there was a large 'snap' noise but the technique was proven effective as the power returned and the reactor stabilized again. "See? What did I say?"

Sally released a sigh before commending the day's hero. "Good job Tails." She pulled out the data pad again and performed one last check to make sure their resent disturbances did not do any permanent damage or caused the need for repairs in the near future. "Looks like everything checks out. The reactor should be good for a while now."

"Alright. Let's call it a day then. Who's down for chili-dogs at Freedom HQ?"

"Sounds good to me." Tails answered as the three began to depart the facility. They closed up the doors to the reactor and shortly ventured back into the mountain climate to board the jet that was waiting for them.

They got on board the Freedom Fighter Special and were immediately greeted by Nicole. "I assume everything went well, despite the large disturbances I picked up." She said a bit smartly.

"It went fine." Sally said playfully with a grin as she again threw Sonic a look. She then turned to Tails. "If only we knew what caused the fluctuations in the first place." She mused.

"Well not to alarm you but when I first looked at it, I initially thought sabotage." The fox explained.

"Sabotage?" The princess responded in surprised.

"At first, yes. But looking at the condition of the panel and the information on the data pad when I reprogramed the system, it looked like it was just a simple syntax mistake in the mastercoding."

"Well let's just hope so." Sally said as she was the last one to strap herself into her seat. "Let's get back home." She commanded and began taking off shortly after. "I'm ready for the rest of the day off."

* * *

><p><span>Important Dates<span> (Regarding Story)

3243 – Current Year of Story

3238* – Year of Robotnik's Defeat

3237 – Current Year in Archie Comics

...

Ages of Characters in story (as of 3243)

Shadow (56 – Physically 24) – Born Created: 3187

Elias, Geoffrey St. John* (27) – Born: 3216

Antoine (26) – Born: 3217

Hershey* (25) – Born: 3218

Bunnie, Rotor, Ash* (24) – Born: 3219

Sonic (Physically 22), Sally, Knuckles (23) – Born: 3220

Julie-su (22) – Born: 3221

Mina* (21) – Born: 3222

Tails (18) – Born: 3225

Amy (17 – Physically 23) – Born: 3226

Alexis, Jon (Rob's son), Knecapeon Mace (7) – Born: 3236

Lara-su, Salma* (Espio's daughter), Belle*, Sonia [unaltered] (-3) – Born: 3246

Argyle* (-4) – Born: 3247

Jacques* (-6) – Born: 3249

Manik* [unaltered] (-7) – Born: 3250

Melody* (-9) – Born: 3252

Skye* (-14) – Born: 3257

Sonia [altered], Manik [altered] (-26) – Born: 3263

*Estimated age of characters. This is based on lengthy figuration since not specifically stated in comics.

* * *

><p>The purpose of this age table is to roughly see where their ages are at with respect to those character's date of birth.<p>

**NOT ALL CHARACTERS LISTED WILL APPEAR IN THE STORY! THIS IS JUST FOR A REFERENCE!**

* * *

><p>I apologize for the lengthy and confusing AN in the beginning but honestly, I am too lazy to change it... The information in this story is based off what has happened in the comics so far as of issue 232 and SU 35 and the previews of future comics. Assumptions have been made, educated ones I might add, which bothers me (as I've said, I like to make my stories as canon as I can regarding the amount of info see in the original piece) but I guess that's why they call it 'fanfic.'

The ages of the characters kind of have been botherin me so I took some time to research the ages and stuff

This is just a full length adventure story so if you like just a good story, full-length and nothing really obserd, this is for you.

Read, Review, and ENJOY!


	2. Get Together

Still a Need for Heroes

Chapter 2: Get Together

"Well that was fun!" Sonic said completely serious as him Sally and Tails were exiting the Freedom Fighter Special Mark 2. The small scare with the reactor was enough to get the thrill seeking hedgehog's blood running again.

"Says you! Forgot how frightening working in the field with you has been." Sally responded jokingly.

"Well nothing serious came out of it so I'll say it was a success." Tails chimed in.

"That's right it was!" Sonic blurted out.

"Alright guys, just wait here while I deal with the checking us out." She said as she entered the main office of the airstrip. The process took almost as quick as it did to check in, having the title of 'princess' usually meant she could bypass the normal security clearances and checks which made it all the faster, and soon she was back outside with the other two.

"Alright, and now to kick back with my girl and some chili dogs at HQ." Sonic said as he extended his arms in the air in a genuine stretch, then landing his right arm on Sally's shoulders.

"Sounds nice to me." She said returning the favor by wrapping her left arm around Sonic's backside.

...

The three were well enough down the road when they saw Mina and Ash heading toward them down the same path. "Hey you two. How's it going?" Sally said casually.

"Hey Sally, hey guys!" The songoose greeted while being quite chipper. Ash on the other hand greeted as his normal melancholy self. "What are you all up to?" Mina asked.

"We just got back from a mission. We were about to take the rest of the day to chill back at Freedom HQ." The princess explained.

"Cool. Mind if Ash and I come by?" At her request, the more melodramatic mongoose of the two shot his partner a glare that demonstrated his view at the bid. "We were just about to hang out at my place. I wouldn't mind chilling with you guys as well though." Ash let out a huff which was shortly followed by an elbow to the side from Mina.

"I don't mind." Sonic said, looking at the rest of his party as they nodded in agreement. "The more the merrier."

"Alright then!" She said as her and her 'manager' joined the group on their journey to their pad. "So Tails, you were telling me about some project you were doing with your sub the other day. How's that going?"

"Pretty good. Still not as stable as I'd like but that'll come in time." He quickly explained in simple layman's terms.

"Since when were you interested in that mechanical kind of stuff Mina?" Sonic but in.

"Well I just ran into him the other day when he was working on it and he told me a little about it."

"So how's the new tour planning going?" Sally asked her curiously.

"Good. It's delayed our plans for the wedding but–"

And with that, Sally yelped with a hand cusped over her mouth about the detail she completely overlooked. "Oh my gosh! How could I forget? You're engaged! Congratulations!" She broke from Sonic and gave Mina a hugged. She looked over at Ash to give him some recognition as well but he just looked away.

"Thanks!" Mina said as Sally let her free.

"Oh I feel terrible, I completely forgot!"

"No don't, it's fine." She smiled. Ash huffed. "It's been a while since I've seen you all anyway."

"Yeah, I assume everything's going well for you two if you're engaged. Congrats bro!" Sonic said as he gave Ash a playful slap on the back.

"Don't touch me hedgehog." The mongoose said through gritted teeth.

"Still not too chummy are we?" Sonic asked rhetorically and a little spiteful.

"Bother you knowing not _everyone_ is a fan?" He responded getting up in Sonic's face a little, causing the group to stop their walk and delay their down time at HQ.

"Not at all, but I don't like to be insulted." The hedgehog said, getting even more into Ash's face than he was already in his. His quills were beginning to rise. Both Sally and Mina rolled their eyes and sighed at their partner's reactions but it was Tails that came in to stop them.

"Really guys? You get aggravated over something like that?" He pushed the two away from each other. "Just chill alright. We're almost at Freedom Headquarters anyway." Sonic still wasn't used to the fox being the size he was now but even if he wasn't playing guardian just then, Tails was right. Sonic and Ash stared at each other through scorning eyes before finally they backed away.

They continued walking and as Tails said their location was not far. They soon saw over the rising hill the flagpole that rested on top of the dome roof of HQ with the flag of the Republic of Acorn swaying wildly in the wind.

"Now that's a sight I wish I saw more often." Sonic said slightly dreamy as the entire complex came into view.

"The good old days right?" Tails said with a nostalgic tune.

"You got that right little brother... Race ya!" He said as he swung his leg back, getting ready to take off.

"You're on!" Tails accepted the challenge as he immediately took flight. And just like that, the two were off leaving Sally Mina and Ash in the dust of their sudden movement.

"The good old days indeed." Sally said after a few small coughs. "You're not going to show 'em up Mina?" She then said jokingly.

"Nah. Can't really run well in boots anyway."

...

"I win!" They both shouted simultaneously as they reached their finish line. "What? No you didn't!" They said again at the same time.

"I clearly won." Sonic bragged as he reclined on a fully extended arm that rested on the wall of the compound.

"Pfsh, whatever! You may be fast, but it's easier fly around trees and buildings than run. If anything, we tied."

"Only because I went easy on you." The hedgehog said as he opened the door to their hangout.

"Uh huh, sure." The fox smirked. The two walked in and saw Antoine and Bunnie sitting on the couch. Bunnie was right up next to Antoine with her legs curled up on the cushions and her head and torso leaning on Antoine's side and shoulders. They sat casually on the far end of the sofa while Antoine had one arm clung around wife and the other holding up both their weights, supported by the armrest to the other side. Bunnie's ears twitched at the unsuspected sound of them entering the room and both their heads cocked slightly in their direction to see who it was. "Hey Antoine, hey Bunnie. What brings you to HQ?" Tails asked.

"What's up guys?" Sonic quickly snuck in his greeting as well.

"Howdy y'all. Nothing really, just relaxin' a bit."

"Et az been a long week. Just glad it is finally ze weekend, non?"

"I hear you there Ant." Sonic said as he walked over to the fridge and pulled out two beers. He twisted off the cap of one of the bottles and took a swig. He walked over to the couch and tossed the second bottle to Tails just before jumping over the backside of the couch Bunnie and Ant were sitting on and plopped on the other end. He reached down the side and pulled the lever releasing the recliner. It caught his legs as it sprung up and he eased back to suit more of a resting position. Tails moved over to a nearby single seater and threw himself down. He brought the bottle too his mouth and took a drink of the malt.

At this time, Sally Mina and Ash came in through the door. "Bunnie!" The princess shouted with glee. The rabbit didn't hesitate to get up from her comfortable position to greet her old friend as she dashed over to her and the two embraced.

"How ya doing sugah?" She said with a huge smile as they pulled away from the hug but still clenched each other's arms. "It's been ah while. Ant and I have just been so darn busy the past few weeks."

"I know how that is." Sally said with a light chuckle. "Antoine, I assume you're doing well."

"Very well, princess." He responded. Sally just ignored the formal greeting. The two women moved to the couch where the rabbit resumed her previous posture and Sally adopted a similar stance alongside Sonic. Meanwhile, Mina and Ash had made it over and sat on the loveseat that was near the couch and across from Tails' chair.

"And you two, I hear you're engaged now?" Bunnie asked Mina and Ash, bringing them into the conversations.

"Yup." Mina said as she snuggled next to Ash a bit. "Happened not too long ago."

"Good to hear! So what have y'all been up to?" She said, redirecting the latter question back to Sally.

"Pretty much whatever my brother needs us to do. Look over reconstruction, delegate to some other kingdom or nation." She explained.

"Sounds like you're finally living up to yer title of princess." She said referring to the field tactician of years before.

"I'll say." Sally responded.

Bunnie giggled a little at her next inquiry. "How 'bout you sugah hog, how's the life of a 'prince'?"

"Enthralling." The hedgehog said in a completely sarcastic and unenthused tone.

"Hah, you mean ze life of honor and ministering to ze populaces does not thrill Sonic, Hero of Mobius?" Antoine stated laughingly.

"It's as if you don't know me at all Antoine." Sonic said in a similar tone as before except a smile crept on his face before taking another swig of his drink.

"And what about you Tails?" Bunnie said, continuing her recap of what she has missed from her friend's lives. She smiled seductively. "Any luck in the dating realm?"

The fox blushed at the abrupt statement which caused a giggle to form from Mina. "Uhh–"

"Yeah, what about that feline you brought to our wedding? Haley was it?" Sonic asked.

"You two were going at it for quite some time weren't you?" Sally tacked on.

"Yeah, I don't know. It just…didn't work." Tails was managed to say while awkwardly scratching the back of his head. He pulled off his goggles that still were strapped around his head and placed them on the end table next to his chair. His bangs dropped a little in front of his face.

"Come on, mon amis. It appears he wishes not to talk about his deals with ze courtship." Antoine stated, coming to the aid of the Fox.

"Not that anyone would." Ash mumbled low enough for only him and Mina to hear. Mina shot him an evil glare to silence him.

"I can tell you one thing though. It sure is nice to relax for a bit." Sonic said, changing the subject as suggested. "I wonder what Knux is up to. Haven't seen him in a while."

"That's it!" Sally shouted as if having a revelation.

"What's it, sug?" Bunnie asked.

She got up and stood in the middle of the group as she explained. "Well it is the weekend now. So let's hit everyone up and throw a party here at HQ. It'd be good to see everyone all together again."

"I'm down." Tails said, giving his opinion on the subject all the while drinking again from his beer.

"You think we can pull Knuckles away from that blasted rock for too long?" Sonic said with his typical attitude.

"We could probably manage something." Mina added, showing her interest in the event as well.

"And The Chaotix is bound to follow. It's settled then!" The princess declared. "We might as well start getting everything set up."

Sonic let out a big sigh. "Come on, Sal! Can't we just do that in the five minutes before everyone shows up?" Sally rolled her eyes. "I still need some down time." He said as he closed his eyes and fell further back in the couch.

"Because you weren't just begging for adventure earlier today." Tails humorously mumbled.

"Don't try." Sally smiled and advised to the fox.

"Bunnie and I can help with ze 'up setting.'" Antoine said with broken English as his minor adjustments in his position signaled to Bunnie that he wanted to stand up. She leaned off him and he got off the couch.

"Thanks Antoine." She said. "Sonic, feel free to join us anytime." Her Antoine and Bunnie walked off to the other side of the lounge area to begin the preparations.

"I'll keep that in mind." The hedgehog said as he placed his arms behind his head, using the forearms as a makeshift pillow.

"I'm going to help them out too." Tails said, as he got up and moved away as well.

"I think we should help too Ash." Mina said, getting up. She grabbed her fiancée's hand to pull him off the loveseat but he showed constant resistance.

"Are you two staying for the party?" The hedgehog said through one peeled eye lid.

"You bet!" Mina said cheerfully as Ash just grumbled. Finally Mina was able to pry him off his seat.

"I think I'm going to go." He said sternly.

"What? Why?" Mina inquired.

Ash's voice went a little softer. "You know how I feel about these guys. I don't want to be stuck here a whole night with them."

"Come on Ash. It's not going to be that bad."

"You can stay. I'm out of here. See ya." He gave her a quick kiss then moved away and headed to the door. Mina was used to his rebellious and sometimes stubborn attitude and learned to just let him be.

"Well are you going to join us Sonic? Or just lie there on the couch all night." Mina bargained to him as he remained motionless.

"Hmm….Might as well." He said as he slowly crept up to his feet. The two joined the others in helping set up.

*o*

A few knocks pounded on the door. The sound was barely audible over the loud noise that was being created inside. The host and hostess continued their conversation as they headed toward the door. They opened it all the while still speaking to each other and abruptly ended their conversation with interrupting shouts of glee and greeting at the echidna couple that was on the other side. "Hey! Knuckles, Julie su! Come on in!" Sally demanded excitedly as she embraced the two simultaneously.

"Rad Red, how's it going?" Sonic said as he extended an open hand to his friend once Sally backed off the couple.

Knuckles took his palm and shook it firmly. "Pretty good, True Blue. When you told us you were having a party we had to come by. It's been a while hasn't it?"

"Yeah it has. And you Julie su?" He said turning his attention to the pink echidna dressed in the normal teal and black tac-vest that gave off somewhat of a fashion statement for her.

"I'm great!" She said giving the hedgehog a hug and a pat on the back.

"Come on, I'll get you a cup. What do you feel like?" Sally asked the two.

"I'll just take a beer." Knuckles stated.

"What all do you have?" His date asked as her and Sally directed them away toward the fridge, leaving Sonic and Knuckles to themselves.

Sonic took a swig of the bottle of beer that he was holding in one hand before continuing conversing. "I was kind of surprised you didn't come with the rest of The Chaotix."

"Yeah well believe it or not, Julie su, even with her tomboy attitude, still has to take the time to 'get ready.'" He said with a light laugh. The two moved over to the couch and sat down. Their voices were above normal having to overcome the loud DJing of Vector behind the turntable and subwoofers. "How's the whole 'prince' thing going?"

"Why does everyone wish to know." Sonic said quickly, almost as an inside joke with himself. "It's good. A little too slow for me but…"

"What isn't too slow for you?" Knuckles said with a cheeky grin. Sally and Julie su came back with some refreshments. She handed the guardian a bottle. "Thanks." He said while Julie su came back holding a red cup filled with some mixed drink. The two women remained standing while Sonic and Knuckles sat on the couch for a little bit longer.

"So how's Angel Island holding up now that reconstruction is getting close to being done?" Sally asked Knuckles.

"It's holding up, that's for sure. You'd think after a few years everything will be alright but there is still those who wish to remain in Albion, the legionized still seem bitter but they've been getting better. The dingoes are making more progress than they are half the time." He chuckled then took a swig from his fresh bottle.

"As for Lein da, we still don't know which rock that little worm is hiding under." Julie su continued her partner's statement with a little more spite.

"We believe she still has some followers surrounding her but there hasn't been any flared activity so we're not worried." Knuckles finished.

"Come on, we're here to party! Not talk about politics…" Sonic butt in obviously not in the mood to clock-in to his delegation duties on the weekend. Sally and Knuckles looked at each other and shrugged.

"Yeah, you're right. Wanna hit up the BP table?" The echidna said getting up from the couch.

"You bet! Tails and Mina are at it right now. They've been doing well. They're on their fourth game I think!" The hedgehog said as he turned his torso slightly to peer over the back of the couch where Tails and Mina were playing against Bunnie and Antoine on the other side of the room. Tails swayed his throwing arm, equipped with a ping pong ball, forward and backward taking aim with squinted eyes. Soon he released and the ball glided through the air beautifully and sunk straight into the second to last cup. Mina jumped up and cheered then succeeded in taking a drink from her cup. "Looks like they're almost done anyway. Come on, before someone else jumps in." He said getting up, all the while Sally and Julie su replaced the two by lounging on the couch in their spots. Red and Blue went over toward the table and watched the finale of the previous game from the side.

'Plonck.' The ping pong ball sunk perfectly into the final cup claiming the win for Tails and Mina. "Hook line and sinker." The fox shouted out as he threw his arms in the air in jubilation.

"Sacre bleu!" Antoine said as he smack his forehead.

"Shucks!" Bunnie yelped as she starred at the two cups left for them to make.

"How do you say, retribution?" The coyote pleaded.

"It's rebuttal and let's show these kiddos how to take it, sugh!" The rabbit exclaimed as she tossed the ball. It landed in one of the cups but began to spin wildly. Tails quickly tried to finger it out but it fell just beforehand. "That's right!" Mina removed the cup and threw back the ball for Bunnie to continue shooting. She tried again but unfortunately missed. "Shoot."

Antoine picked up the ball and got ready to fire. His military composure was locked on as he focused his blurry vision on the target. He gently tossed the ball but it bounced off the side of the cup and flew in Sonic's direction. He quickly caught it.

"Mon deau!" Antoine shouted in dismay.

"Aww yeah! Game number four!" Tails said as he raised his hand in the air to give his teammate a high five. She slapped his hand and cheered.

"I think it's time for your streak to end." Sonic said with a grin as he continuously tossed the ball he caught up in the air.

"You're on, _big bro_." Tails added as he took another drink from his beer. Knuckles set down his beer that he already finished, and twisted off the cap of another that he grabbed in the meantime. The two teams set up the cups and got ready. Tails whispered something to Mina which led from a smile and a nod as a response. In an instant, Tails threw the ball in the air but missed. Immediately after the ball was released from the fox's hand, the mongoose quickly bounced the ball on the table. It was headed straight for the front most cup but it was swiftly swooped up in a blue flash.

"You might be fast but always remember. I'm faster." Sonic said to Mina with a smile. She smiled back and huffed friendly.

...

"Need another drink?" Sally asked Julie su noticing her cup was empty as well.

"Sure." She said as they got up from the couch. Julie su looked over at the beer pong table where Knuckles bounced the winning shot in the final cup, sending Tails and Mina off the table. He chugged the rest of his beer and slammed it on the table in celebration.

"Hey gals!" Nicole said as she was leaning on the counter by the fridge.

"Hey Nicole!" Greeted Sally. "How's everything going?" She asked, pouring her and Julie su another drink from the cooler of jungle juice that rested next to Nicole on the counter.

"Great!" She paused as she observed a very intoxicated Amy fumbling over her words as she tried to convince a still pretty young and sober Ray that he looked like Super Sonic. "Although I still can't believe how… 'unusual' sentient beings act through the effects of hydroxyl function groups."

"Come on Nicole. You're starting to sound like a computer!" Sally joked as she softly jabbed her elbow into the A.I.'s side. Nicole chuckled but let her face sink a little at the unintended impact of her friend's comment.

"Well hello." Espio said as he came up to the group. He casually brought a red cup up to his mouth and took a sip from it.

"Hey Espio." Julie su said as she too took a drink from her cup.

"Well hello." Nicole beamed. "Long time no see."

The chameleon chuckled a little. "I know right?" He said sarcastically and smiling.

Sally looked at the two with a raised eye brow. "Oookaaay?" She drew out, seeing something suspicious but her thought was quickly interrupted.

"Excuse me." Knuckles said as he appeared by the group, opened up the fridge that lied next to them, took a few more beers out and closed the door. "Beat Tails and Mina." He said as he quickly gave Julie su a drunk peck on the cheek.

"I know, I saw." Julie su said as the echidna disappeared back to the beer pong table almost as sudden as he appeared next to the group. "Good luck!" She shouted. He acknowledged it by quickly waving a hand in the air just before he and Sonic clanked their fresh bottles together in a cheers.

"Damn, so close!" Tails said as he joined the group from his winning streak. He too opened the fridge and grabbed another beer. "Just one more cup!"

"Yeah, you and Mina were really showing us all up." Sally stated then redirected her words to Julie su. "I guess we're going to have to put our men back in their place." As if cued by her statement, Sonic and Knuckles just sunk both shots in the same cup before Mighty and his sister Matilda* were able to remove the cup from the rack. "We'll let them have their fun first."

"We better. I'm not drunk enough to play just yet." Said the tomboy before taking another larger drink out of her cup.

"Gah! One more cup!" Tails drunkily reinstated, sulking in his loss. Mina obviously wasn't too bent out of shape about it. She was over by Vector who was still spinning the turntables. They were conversing about throwing some scratches into some of the Forget Me Knots' songs as remixes.

"Care to get next game?" Espio asked Nicole.

"You know I can't get _drunk_." The lynx answered back.

"Who says you have to be?" He said coolly.

She let out a small chuckle. "Isn't that like rule one of the game?"

"Oh come on Nicole. I'm sure no one will mind." Sally reassured her.

"…I still don't know." She said, subconsciously rubbing her hand up and down the forearm of her other arm.

"We're going." The chameleon decided for her as he grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the others.

"I swear I'm never going to hear the end of it from Knux if he ends up getting beat by those two." Julie su added.

"Oh come on, give them a chance." Sally smirked.

"Give them a chance? One's a ninja and one can probably calculate the trajectory of every throw!"

"She's got a good point." Tails added.

"… Shit. Oh well." She took another sip from her cup to numb the realization.

"What's bumpin? Other than this beat I've been laying." Vector entered the group and stated. "Mind if get a little something something? This croc is thirsty!" In his own lingo, he was asking Julie su to fix up a drink for him since she was by the cooler.

"You say that as if I'll respond to that." She said blankly.

Vector pleaded back. "Come on, help a brother out! I've got to get back to the turntables." She rolled her eyes and reluctantly filled up a cup for him. "Thanks toots." He grabbed the cup and headed back toward the stereo. He walked so strangely and with so much swagger, it looked as if he was dancing with every step. In fact, he most likely was.

Julie su stood in shock at the crocodile's statement but it quickly turned into hysterical laughter when soon Vector tripped over the stereo cords and fell face first on the floor. His drink fell all over him. He stormed back to the group in a walk of shame to get another drink. His rivaled teammate was in a nonstop fit of laughter. "Oh my! What – what, was that?" She almost dropped her cup as she was tearing up and needed to rest with her hands on her knees. "Walk much?" Her merriment was slowly turning into panting.

"Yeah. Go ahead and laugh." He muttered as he downed an entire cup before refilling it and headed back to his station, this time without making a fool of himself.

"You don't have to tell me twice!" She began to calm herself down and wiped the tears that formed in her eyes. "Oh I swear. That guy…"

This time, it was Sonic's turn to fetch the beers for the dynamic duo that were now in running for the longest streak of the night at the drinking game. But unlike Knuckles appearance, he wanted to be a little less subtle. In a flash, he appeared behind Sally who wasn't expecting a sneak up. Even if she didn't have her back turned, she wouldn't have seen him coming. He quickly swooped her off her feet and cradled her in his arms. "Well hello." He said with an obviously red face.

"Jeez Sonic!" She snapped back, clearly taken by surprise. The hedgehog put her back down and reached in the fridge for some more beers. "We're going on game four. Might end up beating your streak little bro."

"I'll be sure to root for the other guys then." Tails sarcastically exclaimed. If it wasn't his tone that gave the sarcasm away, it was his expression. Sonic quickly caught on and pointed at the fox with a similar face and grin. He left the scene and returned to their game.

...

"Island!" The ball was thrown and completely missed the cup, not even getting close.

"Come on, Espio! I know you're better than that! Think of it as a throwing star." Knuckles egged on his teammate as he was not doing as well as he has shown himself to be.

"It's different. And not only that... I'm drunk." The chameleon slurred as his partner got ready to shoot. She carefully took aim and gently tossed the ball. It slid down the rim of the cup and went into a spin. Quickly, Sonic plucked it out before it fell completely.

"Say Es, you've often been vanishing for quite a while now." Espio shot Nicole a glare and she leered back. "Not doing any more secret clan stuff are ya?"

"I assure you, I have no business with them that you don't know about." He said, looking back at his current opponents.

"Aannnd now…" Sonic mumbled as, right on cue, the two launched the balls toward the cups. Knuckles threw it and Sonic bounced it, both landing in the same cup.

"AHH!" The two shouted at the spectacle. "That's game!" Sonic added while he and Knuckles continued to celebrate. Many shouts and gestures were being tossed right and left by the two victors.

"Alright. Time for your fun to end." Sally said a little antagonizing as her and Julie su walked up to challenged their mates.

"Oh this ought to be good." Knuckles said excitedly, accepting their challenge.

"Normal stakes baby?" Julie su wagered to the red echidna across the table.

"You know it." He said with a smile.

"Stakes?" The hedgehog elbowed his partner for input on the inside reference.

"Don't worry about it."

"Whatever." He said brushing it off. "Alright, let's go!" Sonic shouted as he took the first shot. It landed perfectly in the center cup.

It was Knuckles' turn but it bounced off the rim of two neighboring cups. "Gah!"

As the game got under way, it attracted more and more of an audience. Bunnie and Antoine crept out of their old room after disappearing for a short while, Vector let the stereo run on a playlist he quickly devised, Amy and Mina moved the conversation they were having at that time to right by the table, and Charmy, Saffron, Mighty and everyone else came over to see.

"Alright. Send 'em over." Sonic and Knuckles rolled the balls over the table and each took another drink. Sally grabbed one of them but Julie su let her intoxication show as she missed the other one and let it fall to the floor.

"Shouldn't be too hard." Knuckles whispered to Sonic, loud enough for Julie su to hear him.

She shot him a nasty glance. "Don't test me." She shot first and landed it in the front cup. Sally took her turn but missed.

Sonic held one of the ping pong balls like a pair off die and shook it around. "Kiss it for luck?" He said, offering to Sally. She cocked up an eye brow. "Fine. And this shot goes out to all the kids back home." He tried to look fancy and performed a jump shot but it didn't even hit a single cup.

"I feel bad for the kids back home." Sally stated in mockery.

Knuckles lightly arched the ball and made it in a cup. It began to spin and Julie su took the initiative to try and blow it out but failed. "I hope you're better than that!" He said, bringing another evil look his way.

"Keep it up and I'll prove you otherwise." She responded while finishing with a small nip. She took the ball and threw it. It too begun to spin but luckily for Red and Blue, physics helped them out as the ball flew out of the cup before going all the way down. "Damn."

"My turn. _This goes out to all the kids back home_." She said, still mocking her husband. But unlike him, hers actually was for the 'kids back home' as it landed right into one of the cups perfectly.

The entire game was neck and neck, Sonic and Knuckles would be leading, then Sally and Julie su, some would make doubles, some wouldn't. It was down to the last cup for each teams and Sonic already missed his shot. Knuckles focused in on the last cup. Julie su tried to distract him as she loomed over the final cup. The echidna threw the ball. It flopped off the cup to his dismay.

"Our turn." Sally launched the ball in the air and it landed straight in the cup. But as Knuckles was moving the cup off the rack, Julie su threw it and it landed in the same cup, while being pushed out of the way. The game was over.

"That's right!" Julie su shouted. Knuckles grumbled something and slapped his palm against his forehead, knowing his defeat. "You know what that means." She said nearly sinister.

"Yeah, yeah." He mumbled as he grabbed Julie su's hand and pulled her toward the door, grumbling.

"We'll see you all later!" The pink echidna shouted lightheartedly as she threw a hand in the air and waved, looking back at Sally and giving her a quick wink. Knuckles got the warp ring ready and flipped it as soon as they left the door. Sally chuckled knowing exactly what just happened.

"What was that about?" Sonic asked his wife.

"Oh nothing." Her continuous smiling was a clear indication that that was a lie. "We should be more _competitive_."

"Whatever that means." He rested his arm around Sally's shoulders and moved back into the crowd.

"Great game sug! 'bout time someone beat those two." Bunnie stated, not getting to congratulate her immediately after the game.

"One of 'those two' is standing right here…" Sonic said a little sourly.

"Oh don't worry sugahog. You're streak had to end sometime. And it was one hell-uv-a streak too." She patted the spiny Mobian on the shoulder than joined back up with Antoine.

"It's getting kind of late, we zar probably best to get going." He said as he gave Sally and Sonic their salutations.

"See ya Ant." Responded Sonic.

"Guess it's kind of dying down." Sally said watching them leave.

Nicole came up to the royal couple with Espio slung over her as his arm around her shoulders was barely enough to keep him up. "I hate to partake in the simmering of the party but I think it's best if I tend to Espio in one of the guest rooms. It's apparent as to why." She said with a half-sincere smile.

"That's fine. Take good care of him."

"It's weird, he kept saying he was drunk but… it really didn't seem like it." Sonic mused.

"I don't know but I kind of want to call in the towel myself." Said Sally as she leaned her head on Sonic's and rested an arm on his chest.

"Time to kick everyone out?" He offered.

"No. Let them leave on their own. Shouldn't be too long anyway."

Sally was right, within half an hour, they were saying goodbye to the last of the attendees. They gazed upon the onslaught that occurred which left a devastating mark on the tidiness of the compound but that was not the time to tend to cleaning up the place. They shut everything down and retired back to one of the rooms for the night. It was a good get together and the two were happy to see everyone. It would definitely have to happen again sometime, they thought.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

I'm happy my last prediction for the destruction of New Mobotropolis was correct but I'm a little disappointed I didn't think the nanites would rebuild in Sonic Universe 36. But this is a fanfic so it's bound to be a little off. At least.

I know this chapter was a little sloppy but it's hard to do a 'party' setting with something like this. I hope it worked enough for you all. I'll be getting back to the actual story part. I just thought this would be a little fun. I also didn't mean for it to be this long but whatever.

I didn't know fanfiction takes out indents and gaps between lines such as multiple 'enters' so I appologize if at some points in the last chapter things jumped around a little. THere was supposed to be a gap to signify scene and setting change. I usually put something in there on my other stories when there is a big gap of time (I think I did it once on this chapter too) so I'll get back into that, as you could see with the "..." inbetween a few lines. I'll put those in for small perspective changes which happened a lot this chapter.

*Another prediction, that Matilda (seen when Sonic and Bunnie visited Sand Blast City) is Mighty's sister that he set out to find.


	3. Back to Work

Still a Need for Heroes

Chapter 3: Back to Work

The morning sun hit the Royal couple like a spotlight in the dark. Sonic grumbled and threw his arm over his eyes to shield from the light. Sally was lucky to have her head facing away from the window that so deviously let in the dreadful morning light, as she remained asleep with her head and upper torso resting on Sonic's chest. The hedgehog let out another groan as the full impact of his consumption the night before hit him with full force. He shimmied out from underneath the princess all the while making him look foolish as he tried to not stir her.

He managed to get out and then sat on the edge of the bed with his hands rubbing his weary eyes. He suddenly realized he failed in trying to keep Sally asleep when her soft 'waking up' voice began to sound off. "How many times do I have to say, you can't get away without me knowing." She smiled.

"Except I'm not trying to get away." He moaned a little and dropped one arm while the other remained in smothering his face. "Ugh, just trying to stay alive."

Sally rolled over where she was now on her belly and rested her chin on her crossed arms. "I don't know, I feel fine."

"Pfsh. I knew you and Su were sober during that game. Not cool!"

"Don't be too disappointed, you still got something out of it." She responded as the sluggish hedgehog got up and started moving toward the bathroom.

He finished showering off his hangover where Sally then proceeded to do the same before heading out to the main room where again, they were reminded about the assault on tidiness that occurred a few hours before.

"Damn. Well, I'll see you around!" Sonic said with a genuine salutation, as he turned toward the door.

"Oh no you don't mister." Sally responded, grabbing his quills before getting too far out of reach. "You were part of this, you're helping clean up."

"Uhh. Fine." He said redirecting his course to the counter where a plenty of trash bags were stocked. He pulled two out and handed one to Sally and they got to work, picking up different cans and bottles that were left lying around. They poured out all the half empty drinks into the sink and wiped down the tables and floor.

Sonic made his way around the residence quarters on just one leg of his sweep. He bent down to pick up a cup but halted when he heard laughing coming from one of the rooms. "What the–? I thought everyone left." He knocked on the door to give a warning just in case then gently opened it.

"Hey Sonic." Nicole said cheerfully as she was standing next to Espio as he still lied under the covers of the bed in the guest room. The chameleon was reclining with his back on the headboard of the bed. He had a smile on his face, most likely from the laugh Sonic had previously heard, but still looked shaken up from the night before.

"Hey Nicole. Hey Espio. You feeling better?" Sonic asked.

Sally poked her head into the room as well, hearing the commotion from the other side of the main room. "Hey guys!" She said quickly.

"Good morning Sally. And yeah, I'm better." Espio slowly crept out of bed and stood up, holding his head and groaning.

"Better but not good." Nicole said humorously as Espio stumbled a bit in his next few steps.

"You don't have to rub it in."

"I'll say. A mirror will do that enough." Sonic said in his normal joking tone. "Want to use our shower? Trust me, you'll feel a whole lot better."

"Thanks but I probably need to get going. Knuckles is going to be pissed." The purple lizard let out a light chuckle. "He wanted to do a sparring session but I am in no way able anymore."

Now it was Sally's turn to be mean to the already tormented chameleon. "I'm surprised Espio. Usually you are so reserved and held up. You never let yourself go like this." She said with a smirk.

"Hey, we all slip up sometimes. You're just lucky you don't have to deal with the repercussions this morning." He said again rubbing his head.

"Come on, I'll get in touch with Knuckles to come with a warp ring a pick you up." Nicole said as she rubbed Espio's back as the two headed to the main COM room.

Sonic looked into the room which was just another reminder to them about their clean-up duties. "I'm not touching this one." He said then left Sally to roll her eyes at him as she too left and suppressed that job for later.

"…Come in Knuckles. Freedom HQ to Angel Island. Knuckles, come in." Nicole said as she now occupied the computer monitor in the COM room. Espio was sitting in a chair with his head back.

"I read you. Damn, want to call in a little louder?" He answered back after a short moment. "Hey Nicole, what's up."

"Sorry to disturb you but do you mind using a warp ring to come and pick up Espio? I had him stay here so I could watch over him last night." The computer version of Nicole stated pretty abruptly.

Knuckles let out a light growl for an unrelated reason. "No problem. Be there shortly. Knuckles out."

At this, Nicole accumulated herself back into her holographic self in front of Espio. "He's on his way."

"Thanks Nicole. And for looking over me for the night." He answered with an affectionate smile through a half palm-covered face. "And I didn't even intend to be in your company all night. Kind of worked out though."

She smiled back and with a flattered kind of tone responded, "Kind of did." But her tone soon changed to a playful one. "Thankfully you just didn't throw up. Might have ruined the moment Espy."

Espio cocked his head to the side in slight shame but more from her snide and joking comment. "I'm never going to live this down am I?" He then got up and grabbed Nicole's hand.

She giggled a little. "We'll see." But she quickly pulled her hand away. "Sonic's coming." And right on cue, he walked into the COM room.

"Hey Es. Do you think Knuckles would mind having me replace you in your sparring session? Kind of want to loosen up a bit." He said, swinging his right arm around in circle, then advanced to do the same for the left.

"I don't see why he would mind. Knuckles'll probably be glad to have some training partner after I tell him I won't be joining him."

"Joining me in what?" Knuckles said as he walked into the room. To their shock it looked tired and worn to the point where it was almost like he already had a training session.

"Ninja here is too hung-over to spar with you so I'll be taking your place." Sonic said proudly.

"Fine by me. I was just going to go to the island but mind if we use the simulator here in town instead?" Knuckles offered a bit interested.

"Fine by me."

"Alright, I'll take Espio back, get something small to eat and probably meet up with you in an hour two. Sound good?" As Knuckles laid down his plan for the day, Espio began walking over toward him for their departure.

"Fine by me. See you in a bit." Sonic said as the two islanders left the room. "See ya Espio!" He quickly shouted.

"Bye Sonic, See ya Nicole." He responded.

"Gives me a little bit to get ready as well." Sonic mused as he too left the room with Nicole following him.

*o*

"Grah!" Sonic and Knuckles both shouted as they're hands were clasped trying to overpower each other and shove the other back. They quickly broke, jumped back and without a moment's rest, dove back at each other.

They had been sparring for quite a while at this point but practice makes perfect. Knuckles was a hard hitter and knew more about hands on combat but Sonic was obviously fast and was giving his friendly nemesis a run for his money. The two collided in mid-air from their assault and managed to grab hold of each other. They fell to the ground with a thud and began grappling each other in an attempt to either escape the other's grasp or pin each other down. Knuckles was able to maneuver into a more dominant position and was fighting to hold the hedgehog back. Sonic's pins were not really any help to the echidna as they kept stabbing him while he was trying to get him in a hold. Finally, Knuckles squirmed to the side and was able to latch onto Sonic's arm at the wrist. He threw it against his back and slowly kept progressing it further to a position unnatural for an arm to go. Sonic tapped out. Knuckles broke his hold, rolled backwards into a standing stance, and stood patiently panting from the exercise.

Sonic gasped for air before being able to make out some words. "Good one Red. I think we're even now." He smiled.

"That we are. Give it a little rest then we'll do some more."

"Sounds good to me." Sonic said as the two made it over to a bench that arose from the floor of the simulator room. They both landed hard on the seat, their legs tired from hoisting them around for so long, then grabbed their water bottles and took a few swigs.

Knuckles pulled the bottle away from his mouth and took one more intake as he did so. "Ugh. I'm so sore." He said making general conversation.

"Yeah, what was that? You showed up this morning looking like you just came from a fight. Rough night back at Angel Island?" Sonic said, finishing his statement with another squeeze of his water bottle.

"Yeah." He said smirking with what looked like enjoyed remembrance. He put down the bottle and stood up. "Su and I have a deal when it comes to competitions…I'll just leave that one alone." He walked back toward the center to the simulator room, rested and ready for his next fight with Sonic.

Sonic sat there for a short moment confused with a raised eyebrow. "So that's what that was about last night? You just stormed out after our game!" He stated in revelation. And got up from the bench just before it descended back into the ground. "So that's what Sal meant with being more 'competitive.'" He said softly to himself. "What were the terms of this 'deal' of yours?" He asked curiously as he moved toward his battle buddy and got ready to fight.

"Like I said," Knuckles smiled, "I'll just leave that one alone." And without warning, he swung a right hook at his friend. Sonic quickly leaned back and dodged the swing but the echidna kept them coming. Right, then left, then a couple right jabs, then a left hook but Sonic's speed and reactions evaded them all. He dove and rolled to the right then spun to face his opponent. He quickly entered into a spin dash and launched. Knuckles braced himself for the impact by leaning forward to absorb the momentum. As Sonic made contact, Knuckles caught the ball of fury and tried to throw him back but Blue's speed was too much and he barely managed to just divert him to the side. Sonic bounced then came out of the ball as Knuckles was already charging him. He tricked out the hedgehog by jumping over him instead of going for a frontal assault and after landing, swung his leg to take out Sonic's feet from underneath him. He then quickly threw down his elbow but Sonic rolled to the side and avoided the crush. He got up and took off. Running around the room a few times to where he gained enough speed to literally become a blur. Knuckles' head was on a swivel trying to keep up the hedgehog but he was having trouble. And if there was one thing he knew what to do in this situation it was never to stand still.

Knuckles began running around the outer rim of the circular simulation chamber, keeping his eyes fixed to his right, knowing he couldn't possibly be between him and the wall on his left. He kept running but he couldn't even see any trace of the creature until Sonic flew down onto the echidna from above.

"Never thought to look up did ya?" Sonic gloated.

Knuckles threw Sonic off of him and jumped on the wall. "_Running_ on walls is for suckers!" He said as he scaled the wall with ease. At some point he jumped off and began gliding in the air, honing in on his target. When he felt like he was locked on, he dove down in a rapid spin with great speed. Sonic dove to the side and missed Knuckles drill attack by a hair. Knuckle flipped back and got back on his feet in a fighting stance. Sonic pounced at his counterpart and Knuckles did the same.

Sonic came at the echidna with quick punches. Knuckles either blocked them with his forearms and gloves or dodged them. In amongst his dodging, he too was flinging his own fists while Sonic was maneuvering around them. Knuckles would swing two quick jabs with his left arm while Sonic counteracted by throwing his torso back to dodge the hits. He threw a right hook at the guardian but Knuckles ducked under it and returned with his own right uppercut. Unfortunately, Sonic dropped the guard that was his left arm during his swing and Knuckles fist landed right on the sweet spot.

Nearly lifted off the ground by the force that encountered his chin, Sonic fell back dazed from the hit. Knuckles saw his opportunity to end the sparring session and dove for his friend. But Sonic came to just in time to swing his feet up to catch Knuckles in mid pounce. He kicked him over his head and rolled back to get onto his feet. Knuckles fell on the ground a good distance off but quickly recovered.

"Back to square one." Knuckles said as the two were right back to facing each other waiting on someone to throw the next punch.

"Who said we ever left?" Sonic answered back with a quick kick to the side. Knuckles tightened up his core to soften the impact and took the hit. But he wasn't going to let his buddy get a free hit. He grabbed his leg before Sonic could return it from Knuckles' torso and the echidna hoisted the hedgehog's body toward him. Sonic used the momentum Knuckles just gave him to fall back and swing his leg up to get it free from his grasp. As he did so, he threw his other leg up and returned Knuckles' previous hit to Sonic's jaw with his own.

The kick snapped the echidna's head back in recoil. Knuckles stumbled back to get his balance while rubbing his new sore. "Guess you didn't want to end this early."

"We're in this until one of us goes down. You know that." Sonic said with a grin.

"Just testing you." Knuckles said getting ready for whatever was to come next. Sonic's grin widened at his statement and suddenly he was gone in a flash. He started circling Knuckles and closing in on him. Knuckles tried to follow him with his eyes but he was too quick. Not only that, his head was getting tired of spinning so rapidly. He knew he couldn't get out of the ring that his opponent had created so he waited and listened. He was able to hone in and track Sonic by the patter of his moving feet. He used some of his chaos power to trace the blue blur and when he got close enough, Knuckles flung out his fist and clotheslined the hedgehog.

Due to his speed, Sonic slid forward all the way into the wall. Knuckles slowly walked over to the crash site where Sonic was waiting for him. Sonic flew at his friend in another spin dash but this time, Knuckles was too close and taken back by the surprise attack, he was not able to counter it like he had before. So he was hit with full force and managed to slam into the wall on the other side of the simulator room.

Slowly getting up after falling to his knees, Sonic was already on the downed echidna. He threw him back into the wall again but Knuckles was already back in the game. He threw his feet behind him to where they were perpendicular with the wall and pushed off. He was able to throw Sonic back enough to get some distance from the outer rim of the room.

Knuckles threw another punch and the two were back, fist to fist. They traded punches where at one point Sonic was able to land a hit to Knuckles gut. The wind taken out of him, he tried to focus on Sonic's next attack. Sonic swung a right hook, bound to do some damage. Seeing he couldn't escape this next hit, he figured he'd do the next best thing. He moved in closer so the punch wouldn't have as much force as it would if he allowed Sonic to make a full swing. It pushed his jaw away, but meanwhile Knuckles worked for his own takedown.

While his head was being pushed back by Sonic's punch, his own fist was making its way to Sonic's face. It successfully landed causing the two to step back. Without hesitation, Knuckles pounced on the hedgehog in a position where Sonic could not easily escape; this was his chance. Knuckles unleashed a fury of rapid swings which was obviously causing damage to his sparring partner. After struggling for a moment trying to get out from Knuckles' vice grip, Sonic finally threw in the towel.

"Alright, alright! I'm out." Knuckles stopped and got off the hedgehog. He extended his hands to help up his friend.

"That's three out of five. Looks like I take home the prize this time pal." Knuckles proclaimed as he hoisted Sonic back to his feet.

"This time." Sonic said lightheartedly. "Good job Red." He said, shaking the echidna's hand. They made it back over to the place where they rested before and again, a bench arose from the floor. They plopped down again and began taking sips of water. "Man, I'm going to be sore tomorrow."

"I'll say." Knuckles responded, squeezing a good amount of water into his mouth. "Usually with Espio I just get a cardio workout, running from those damn stars and knives of his." He said in between drinks. "Mighty and Julie Su definitely are the best to go up against but I don't know," he took a final drink before closing the cap and setting the bottle back under the bench. "you might be up there as well."

Sonic rushed to swallow his massive gulp of water. "_Might_? Just _might_?"

"Just might." He said jokingly before getting up and heading for the exit.

Sonic quickly followed. As they left the building, the squinted in the initial light. Knuckles shaded his eyes with his enlarged gloves. The simulation room was much darker and the sun on the outside world was shining bright that day. "So what are you up to next Knux?"

"Probably get back to the island and just relax for the rest of the day. Take the day off." He answered as he got the warp ring ready.

"Alright, well stay in touch!" Sonic said, as he waved goodbye to the echidna.

"Yup. See ya Sonic!" He said with one foot already disappeared on the other side of the warp ring. And in an instant, he vanished. Sonic made his way to Uncle Chuck's Diner, looking for some post-workout protein in the form of a few chili dogs.

But on his journey to the diner, he heard a familiar voice. "Hey Sonic, you got a minute?"

The hedgehog stopped and turned back to see Rotor approach him. "Rotor! How's it going?" He paused. "The council isn't doing anything irrational again are they?" Sonic asked questionably.

"Not too irrational." Rotor said with a smile.

"Where were you last night? It was good to have everyone in one place again. We missed you buddy." Sonic stated as the two began walking again, still in the direction of the diner.

"I had some business to take care of. Particularly looking into that little scuffle in the mountains yesterday." The walrus explained.

"Oh great." Sonic mumbled, expecting to hear something about messing with the pipeline's electrical configure. But to his surprise, that was not the case.

"I was speaking with King Elias and Uncle Chuck and we discovered that there was, for some unknown reason, an official radio connection from that generator to an abandoned station in Mercia. And apparently there was a transmission to shut down the fuel line coincidentally the instant Tails fixed the initial problem of the generator." He explained.

But Sonic took in the final statement more than anything. "Yes! I knew I didn't screw anything up! Oh, just wait until I rub it in Sal's face." He said menacingly.

"Sonic, did you hear me?" Rotor asked seriously.

"Well yeah, I didn't screw it up."

"Not that! There is some 'authorized' link between an old power station in Mercia and the generator you all were sent to investigate." He said as the two came up on Uncle Chuck's diner. They stopped just outside the doors.

"Oh. Does Elias need us to go and investigate?" Sonic questioned taking a more serious tone.

"No, Angel Island is moving over Mercia right now. He sent word to the Chaotix not too long ago."

"Oh, I bet Knuckles is going to be upset. Just said he was going to take the day off." Sonic said with a grin. "Oh well. You want to come inside and catch something to eat?" He offered as he was ready to enter the eatery.

"Sorry man, I was actually on my way to Penelope's. There is some issues with the new order coming up about possible zoning infractions in the east sector of the city that needs to be straightened out." He said all too unenthused.

"Sounds…painstaking. Well don't let running a country take up all your free time! We need to chill sometime."

"I completely agree. I'll see you around Sonic." He said as he departed and Sonic entered Uncle Chuck's Diner.

"That guy needs a break." The hedgehog mumbled to himself. He entered the diner and found Amy talking to Tails at a booth. He, without hesitation, moved over to join them. "Hey guys, how's it going?" He said, taking his seat.

"Hey Sonic." Amy said with cheer in her voice but it was still evident she must have still been recuperating from the night before. She acted a little more normal around Sonic ever since he and Sally got married and quite honestly, the hedgehog was happy about that fact.

"Hey Sonic!" Tails said, slurping the last bit of his milkshake. "How was sparring with Knuckles?" He asked.

"Good. Didn't realize how much I've let my fitness slack." He said signaling down Uncle Chuck who appeared behind the fountain bar on the other end of the diner. The mustached hedgehog instantly got a plate of chili dogs ready for his nephew. "Haven't done much since there hasn't been much to do." He said, continuing his statement with Tails. "So last night was fun." Sonic then redirected his attention to Amy as she let out a groan and plopped her head on the table.

"Don't remind me. I still have a headache." She explained.

"Yeah, you were definitely on a higher level last night." Tails chimed in.

"I'll say." Sonic agreed. "So what brought you two here?"

Amy slowly lifted up her head to make her response. "Well I just showed up and saw Mina here about an hour ago so I sat with her, then Tails showed up. Mina just left about five minutes before you came in."

"Ah. Looks like the diner has been pretty busy today then." He said making small talk all the while eying the plate of chili dogs that was coming his way. The waitress set the plate down on the table in front of the hedgehog. Sonic licked his lips and went straight for the one on top.

"I saw you talking with Rotor outside just a minute ago. I guess he filled you in on that reactor business?" Tails asked.

"Yuf, kind uf weirthd uf you asth me." He said with a mouth crammed full of food.

"That's disgusting." Amy said with no shame in calling the hedgehog out.

Tails just chuckled a little. "You want to try that one again Sonic?"

Sonic took a big gulp to clear his mouth. "Kind of weird if you ask me. And I told you I didn't touch anything!"

"Yeah, I guess you were right on that one. But I wonder what is with that connection." Tails mused.

"Well Elias requested The Chaotix to investigate so I guess we'll find out soon enough." Sonic explained as he continued his meal. Tails and Amy remained for the company.

*o*

"Yup. See ya Sonic!" Knuckles finished saying as he appeared from thin air on Angle Island. The portal closed behind him where he saw Julie Su standing there waiting for him.

"Good workout?" She asked.

"Yup. Looking forward to just chilling for a bit." He said as the two began to walk.

"Don't get your hopes up too much. King Elias requested us to investigate a strange radio connection between a reactor in some mountain range in Kingdom Acorn and an old power station in Mercia." She stated blatantly.

Knuckles let out heavy sigh. "And we accepted didn't we." He said dryly.

"Well Charmy took the call and we both know how he is when it comes to helping others out. Vector's pretty sour about it but he's just been blabbering his scaly muzzle about it and nothing more. Go figure. King Elias figured since we are approaching Mercia we should just drop in and take a look. It shouldn't be too bad." She continued.

"Ugh." Knuckles sounded as he pinched between his eyes. "Is Espio good to go as well?"

"Yeah. He slept off most of the day but I awoke him not too long ago. He said he'll be fine."

"Alright. I guess we should get ready to depart. Have you gathered everyone?" Knuckles inquired.

"Yup. They're all waiting for you by the Master Emerald. Minor supplies were assessed since we shouldn't be out for too long and I already had everyone conceal it into packs." She explained the as she pulled back a branch to a tree to uncover the shrine not too far in the distance and everyone standing around waiting.

Knuckles turned to her with an adoring smile, brought by her logistical skills just like a true soldier. "This is why I love you." He said giving her a quick kiss.

"_That's_ why?" She joked and the two moved into the open.

"'bout time Knux! Let's get this show on the road." Vector said slightly annoyed. "Still don't see why we're doing this anyway."

"Because we have a commitment to our ally nations. It's not a hard task either so quite your bickering." Espio answered for the echidna.

"That's right. Now let's get moving. Too much sitting and not enough doing." Mighty joined in.

"Is Matilda wanting to join us?" Knuckles asked.

"Does she ever?" The armadillo responded.

"Just thought I might ask. Everyone good to go?" Knuckles said, as the group began picking up their two packs each. One of which was a redeployable parachute; their gains of entry to the ground below.

"Check."

"Check."

"Check." They all said once they were sure they were ready.

"Alright, let's move out." Knuckles said as the entire entourage ran toward the edge of the island and leaped off. They glided down and redirected to their target location where they were to make their landing.


	4. Strange Connection

Still a Need for Heroes

Chapter 4: Strange Connection

"Prepare for landing. Adjust accordingly." Knuckles shouted as the team was falling at an incredibly fast rate. They glided through the air to their approximate landing location. "On my mark. Three… Two… One… Mark!" He shouted as he was the first to deploy his parachute. The rest of the team followed in a timely manner, making sure their deployments would not interfere with each other. They came up on a field close to their primary target in Mercia.

Ray was the first to land, being the last to deploy his chute, and Knuckles landed after the rest of his team. They clicked a button on the parachute packs and the chutes zipped into the pack in an instant. A little innovation The Brotherhood created to reuse said parachutes for such insertion purposes as this.

"Pack check." Julie su called out as she adjusted the straps on her pack.

"Check."

"Check."

"Check." The team sounded off once all their packs were closed and accounted for.

"We're all ready Knuckles." She stated.

"I hear ya. Alright Chaotix, let's get out of this open area. We don't expect any hostilities but we all remember what happened a few missions ago in the Land of a Million Lights. There are still some rogue legionnaires out there." The echidna commanded as they all headed into Deerwood Forest. They got just barely into thicket, enough to be out of sight, when they stopped to go over the mission details. "So what exactly is our objective and plan of operation? I wasn't exactly present when we accepted this mission." Knuckles said as he looked over at Charmy.

"Sorry, just figured we could help." He said with an 'oh me' kind of expression.

"Well according to King Elias, a reactor in their Mountain Faction was showing staggering disturbances for a few days now. Sonic, Sally and Tails went to investigate yesterday and was able to readjust the programming to stabilize the reactor. Want to see the official report?" Julie su said as she already was getting out a small packet of papers that was stuffed into her pack, knowing the answer of the head echidna.

"Sure." By the time he said it, the report was already in his hands. He browsed through it as Julie su continued.

"It says Tails simply changed the master coding to adjust to the fluctuations and that there must have just been a little mistake in the initial programming. The core controls were perfectly intact which raised question to the little guy but he soon dismissed it."

"And what's of this fuel line shutdown I'm reading about?" Knuckles prosed.

"It says it was set to turn off as the programming was reconfigured." Espio joined in. "After Sir Charles analyzed the shutdown signal, he found it was rigged to go offline after the reactor was fixed." Knuckles looked up and starred at the chameleon with a raised eyebrow, not expecting him to perform as he usually does due to his intoxicated state the night before. "What? You think a little hangover is going to stop me from doing my job well?"

Knuckles just shrugged and brushed it off. "You never disappoint Espy."

"You said the system was _rigged_" Mighty asked questionably at Espio's choice of words.

"Yeah. It was set like a ticking time bomb. At least according to Sir Charles." He answered, not wanting to take the older hedgehog's credit.

"So it was sabotage then?" Knuckles commented.

"Huh?" His girlfriend simply responded.

Knuckles pointed his head back down to the report still in his hands and began scanning. "It says Tails initially suspected sabotage of the system but then he threw out that idea shortly after."

"Sabatoge?" Charmy questioned a little worriedly.

"So someone is after Acorn?" Vector burst in with an unnecessary loudness.

"The only thing though, this did absolutely nothing to the Kingdom, or the surrounding area." Knuckles said still focusing on the papers as he flipped through a few of them.

"Except send a radio transmission here." Espio casually proclaimed, closing up the circle they were forming.

"Great! So not only do we have to do Acorn's dirty work, we just might run into to baddies in the meantime." Vector threw up his arms as his voice elevated. In the background, a few twigs snapped.

"D-did you guys h-hear that?" Ray stumbled over his words as he raised alarm to the entourage. Everyone stopped in their tracks and didn't move a muscle.

After a short pause, Mighty spoke up. "Sounded like…"

"someone's watching us." Knuckles said, helping conclude the thought with more of a statement of his own.

And as if given a command, the sextet dashed toward the sound of the snooper. But whoever was watching the plotting Chaotix was well concealed and knew the terrain better than the group that was pursuing him. For given away only by the sounds and shaking of the underbrush of the forest, he tried to evade the shadowing group of trespassers. Unfortunately for the eluder, he was not very fast and the Chaotix was closing in.

It was apparent that whoever they were chasing was pretty small as they have not yet seen the suspect over the waist high growth in the area. The rustling of the bushes and ferns stopped near a large oak. The Chaotix slowed their approach, not knowing what to expect and not wanting to rush in in case of a trap. As they crept toward their halted target, a large snap was heard as a custom contraption went off and a small hooded red figure shot up from the undergrowth while holding onto a vine which wrapped around a few trees with a large boulder on the other end as a counterweight. The little guy's momentum stopped just as he was at the level some of the tree branches where he flung himself to land on one of them. From there, he immediately took off again, jumping from tree branch to tree branch.

"Whoa! The little guy's a monkey!" Vector shouted as they spectated the acrobats.

"Come on! Let's not lose him! Or even worse, let him get to where ever he's trying to get too." Knuckles commanded as they all began running again. Their fleeing friend was much quicker through the trees than running on the ground which gave the group some trouble in keeping up. "Let's try and throw this guy off. Espio, cloak yourself and try to get as much ahead as possible. It doesn't matter how far, as long as he doesn't see you he might be shaken up a bit. Charmy and Ray, take flight and try to catch him. If you can't, get above the tree line to try and figure out where we're heading. Su, you and Vector keep up the pursuit. Mighty… throw me."

"You got it!" They shouted as they each broke off and performed their tasks. Knuckles jumped in the air to have Mighty catch him and grab him by the wrists. He quickly spun around for a bit and tossed Knuckles in a hammer throw. Knuckles flew through the air with a much needed level of speed. When he felt his push was going down, he began to glide. He approached the small hooded red fellow and it would only be a moment or two before he had him in his grasp. But the guy turned to see Knuckles and quickly dropped to avoid being snatched up. But dropping down on a tree branch can have its consequences as there is not much room to adjust for balance.

"Wahh!" Their pursuant began shouting as he was trying not to fall off the branches. But if only shouting could help, he finally lost his footing and fell right out of the tree into Espio's camouflaged arms. The chameleon began to reappear as Knuckles, up a head by a few meters, flipped into a landing and turned to regroup with his team. Julie su Vector and Mighty caught up as well while Ray glided down from the tree tops with Charmy quickly following.

"About time you little bugger." Vector stated slightly annoyed.

The 'little bugger' remained constrained by Espio to make sure he wouldn't get away but his in the fall, his hood slipped over his face concealing it. "Alas, villains! Let me out of thy grasp!" The small Mobian said in a childish sounding voice. He jerked his head back to throw off his hood, wanting to see the faces of his captors and revealing he was a young echidna.

"Stop!" Ray shouted out after seeing his face.

"What is it Ray?" Mighty asked.

"L-let him go! H-h-he's only a k-kid." He quickly explained. Espio released his grasp and the child backed away from the group.

"I respect thy morality of you foe, but you have trespassed on peaceful lands with plots and schemes. I must not allow such treachery!" The child said valiantly.

Knuckles stopped and stepped forward. "But…you're an echidna?"

"That I am. Why does thee sound so puzzled?" The child asked curiously.

"What are you doing in Mercia?" He asked before suddenly coming to a possible answer himself. "Unless…"

"Little Jon? Is that you?" A familiar voice came from not too far off in the woods

"Rob O' the Hedge! Long time no see?" Knuckles said as whom other than the King of Deerwood himself revealed himself.

"Knuckles! Long time indeed old friend." He said as he came up to the Chaotix and shook their leader's hand.

"Father! You know these scoundrels?" The child barked.

"I see you have already met my son's acquaintance. Here be my son Jon." Rob said as he stood behind the young echidna and rested his hands on his son's shoulders.

"I assume you are familiar with The Chaotix." Knuckles said as he moved his arm toward them in slight introduction.

"Ah yes. But recalling some of their names may be trouble after so long." The hedgehog responded. He moved forward to shake the group's hands as they gave their names one by one. "Come with me. Thy Mari-an is cooking some porridge. I shall tell her we have guests." He said redirecting Little Jon to head back to their homestead all the while the Chaotix followed respectfully.

They followed Rob and Jon a good distance to an opening in the forest where a small village was present. "Before you, lo and behold, is the onsets of a new Deerwood Village." The group continued walking as Rob played the tour guide for the moment. "After the Eggman and his devious minions were over thrown, the crazy critters of Mercia slowly and cautiously came back together. This village is one but of few that mark a new beginning in Deerwood."

The group made it to the end of the village where Rob's own little hut-like cabin was. The village must have been built around Rob's own croft because his residence was the exact same as Knuckles recalled it a few years back.

Jon was the first to make burst through the door of the house. "Mother! We have visitants!"

"Greetings my dear Mari-an." Rob said almost simultaneously as he too entered the house, followed by each of the Chaotix. He came up to his wife and gave her a quick kiss on the check. "Our son is right, we hold the presence of Knuckles and The Chaotix."

She moved away from the fire where a large cast iron pot was suspended, cooking the meal Rob mentioned earlier. "Ah, greetings friends! What brings you to this side of Mercia?"

"Well King Elias requested us to investigate a strange occurrence we picked up in this area. You haven't experienced anything unusual by any chance?" The echidna asked driving straight into the matter at hand.

Rob and Mari-an looked a little puzzled and gave each other glances before returning their gaze to Knuckles where they both answered in chorus, "No."

"Do go into more detail if you allow me to ask." Rob said as he placed himself into a seat, still facing the group of guests. Mari-an went to stir the porridge again.

"Sonic Sally and Tails went on a mission to a reactor in the mountains near Acorn City yesterday to investigate fluctuations in said reactor. When they fixed the problem, the fuel line was programmed to shut down and also send a radio signal to an old abandoned power station here in Mercia. We accepted the King's request to investigate the power station." He said giving a brief explanation of their operation.

"Hmm. The soundings of something suspicious." Rob said rubbing his chin in thought. He looked up and noticed the group was still standing in a cluster in the center of the room. "Please, take rest! There should be plenty of seats for thee." And at his request, The Chaotix sat down as Rob continued his first thought. "The old power station resides a near trek toward the east, about an hour's time. But like you said, it is abandoned long since thy High Sheriff was in control."

"Do you expect any contacts or hostiles in the area?" Espio inquired.

"Nay. This land has been quite peaceful through recent years." Mari-an added in after coming back from tending to the food.

Vector was sitting impatiently, tapping his fingers on his crossed arms. Mighty and Ray were sitting listening into the conversation but not taking much note of what was being said. Julie su did the same except she was taking note of what was being said, along with Espio. Charmy was off with Little Jon keeping the little tike, and partly himself, entertained.

"You do not wish to depart so early to continue your mission, no?" Rob asked.

"If it's not an insult to you, we'd like to get moving." Julie su stated a little ambassador-like.

"You do not wish some sustenance?" Rob's wife offered as she began pouring bowls of the finished soup.

"We can stay for a short while Chaotix. And we brought our own meals if you don't mind. I don't want to take your food." Knuckles said with a smile.

"Understood. It is over the fire if you have a change of heart." She answered back kindly.

Knuckles team dropped their small packs and pulled out some small plastic bags with dehydrated substances. They opened a canteen of water and poured some into the bag, followed by shaking the bag vigorously. In a short while, the contents of the bags were hydrated and warmed as well and they began eating and conversing.

...

The group finished their meals and was now just sitting talking, mostly about the reactor and power station.

"So you said this power station was used to power one of Robtonik's roboticizer machines?" Knuckles asked.

"Correct my friend. It was a prime target for the original Crazy Critter Freedom Fighters but a few moon's before our planned assault, my comrades were captured and roboticized themselves." Rob explained.

"And after the takedown of the High Sheriff a long while back, it was left dormant?" This time it was Espio's turn to interrogate.

"Only in part. The Dark Egg Legion reignited thy facility's sparks for their legionization efforts. It was only after their downfall, it has been abandoned in its entirety." Rob continued to explain.

"Well it looks like it's not as abandoned as once thought." Knuckles said as he got up out of his chair.

"Are you taking your leave?" Mari-an asked.

"Yeah. If you'll excuse us, we have some investigating to do. Chaotix?" The echidna commanded to his group as they too got up and began readying their packs to move on.

"We appreciate your hospitality in letting us stay under your roof." Espio said as he gave a quick bow to Rob and Mari-an, letting his eastern roots show a little.

"Our pleasure. Do you wish an escort?" Rob offered.

"I think we'll be good. We don't want to cause any disturbances if it comes down to it." Knuckles explained. The group began to leave the house one after another. "It was good seeing you again. Don't be strangers." He said as he too left the residence.

"Alright, so now we have some sort of background." Julie su said as her and Knuckles trailed the rest of the Chaotix as they headed east toward the abandoned power station.

"Yeah. But could we have wasted anymore time!" Vector shouted in suppressed anguish.

"At least he'd getting better at not being so rude in front of others." The female echidna whispered, bringing a smile across her mate's face.

Mighty kept looking around at the surrounding area with drooped ears and a low expression while Ray and Charmy were flying and gliding around in circles, keeping themselves occupied.

Espio noticed Mighty's expression. "Something getting at you Mighty?"

"No…" He said unconfidently. Espio let the pause continue, knowing the armadillo would speak up soon enough. "It's just…it was in an area like this, in a shack like back in the village, that Matillda and I grew up in. With my parents."

"I know it's tough buddy. But it's a sad part of war. But just think, you and your sister turned out fine." The chameleon said trying to cheer him up.

"Matillda was legionized and I let her down after years of just sitting back with you guys at Angel Island. How is that fine?" Mighty said with quite a discomforting and self-blaming tone.

"Mighty, you can't think like that. What ended up happening, happened and there was nothing that could have been done. It was not your fault you lost your sister over those years. If you weren't captured by the Eggman's forces, you wouldn't have been separated. And even worse could have happened." Espio tried to explain.

Mighty gave him a smile, a weak smile, but still a smile. "I guess."

Espio smiled back and gave him a pat on the back.

*o*

They continued walking for a good while, as Rob said it was about an hour's journey, before they approached the power station.

"There it is." Knuckles said he pulled back a few tree branches to see the grey and gloomy facility off in the distance.

"It's about damn time." Vector stated causing Julie su to roll her eyes.

"Let's make our approach. Be advised of your surroundings and report any movement. It's supposed to be abandoned but that signal was sent here for a reason." Knuckles said as they continued to move forward.

The day was coming to a close and the forest glowed red and orange in the setting sun. They would not have much natural light to investigate the facility so they had to make it quick, especially if they found any hostilities. They came up on the gate which was partially broken and torn down from stagnant years and hoodlums seeking trouble. They maneuvered through an opening and began looking around.

The facility looked eerie even in the majestic sunset. The shadows from the trees in the orange light made the grey walls look more unnatural then they already were. They were inside the chain link fence that adjoined the gate but that didn't take much from the sight. Debris was scattered on the dead dirt ground and much of the structural integrity of the facility looked questionable. They slowly made their way through the vacant area between the gate and fences and the building ahead.

"Well the abandoned part was pretty close to the target." Vector said as he kicked a bent and rusted 'Not Trespassing' sign that lied on the ground at his feet.

"Don't get complacent. Keep on your toes." Mighty urged as they pressed forward. They got up to the facility and pushed open the door, causing a loud creaking noise. It was a large metal door but the lock was blown off from previous activity. "Weird seeing a place like this in the middle of a forest." He added. Julie su pulled out a flashlight as the night more and more engulfed the day; it was hard to see inside the dark and enclosed building. The rest of the group followed with their own flashlights.

The Chaotix moved in cautiously as the musty smell of rot and rust filled the air. The inside of the building was just as torn as the outside. Ceiling tiles were missing, the floor had holes in it, trash and broken interior pieces littered the rooms.

"Rem-m-minds me of the p-prison camps Mighty." Ray said, speaking his mind.

"You had to creep me out even more didn't you Ray." Mighty with a joking intent but a completely serious tone.

"Let's split up and take a different room. Everyone grab a partner, no one goes alone. We have to find the receiver for that radio signal. Look for anything out of place. Anything that's not old and busted. If you run into trouble, signal us over the com links in your pack." Knuckles said as him and Julie su went one direction. Ray and Mighty went another and Vector, Espio, and Charmy went a third direction.

...

"Say we find something. What do we do with it? We can't really analyze the system with the supplies we have." Julie su stated as her and Knuckles walked down a stairwell that opened into a hallway. They scanned the nearby rooms in the hallway for anything.

"We should be able to get enough info to report back to King Elias. In the report of Sonic's mission, it said the signal was an official authorized signal but it was not sent by anyone back in Acorn. In another words, someone hacked the system and stole authorization." Red explained as he was focusing on the looking around the surroundings.

"And how does that answer my question?" She snapped.

"Since it was authorized, it automatically has both a back-up and a tracer file. We can find that and sent it to Sir Charles and King Elias for them to look into it. Hopefully our tech assailant doesn't know that tidbit of information." Knuckles said as he came up on a closed door.

"Let's hope." She responded in congenial agreement.

Knuckles shook the handle to the door but it wouldn't budge. He stopped and looked at Julie su who returned with a similar stare. He jiggled the handle again but to no avail. He gave her a small head nod. She returned with an acknowledging head nod of her own and the two swapped positions. She drew her blaster and got into the breach position along the wall. Knuckles raised three fingers. Then he dropped one, then the next one went down. As soon as the third finger was lowered, the echidna kicked open the door for Julie su to storm in.

...

A vacant room was suddenly invaded after its only door slammed open. Vector and Espio casually walked in while Charmy followed. "I've always wanted to kick down a door." The crocodile said, content.

"Doesn't look like there's anything in here either." Charmy said as he circled the room, shining his flashlight from above.

"Agreed. Let's move to…" Espio began to say but something caught his eye. "Hold up." He moved toward the far end of the room, hopping over any decent sized debris that lay waste in his path.

"What is it Es?" Vector asked curiously as he started following up on the chameleon. Charmy flew over as well. Espio stopped at his destination and bent down and picked up a metal cased notepad binder. It was in a relatively new condition which is what brought it to the ninja/spy's eye. He sprung it open to see a bundle of papers that looked new and more importantly, official. "Whoa, nice find man!" Vector shouted in slight jubilee.

Espio flipped through some of them to see what they were about. "Hmm… 'Schematics to internal security outpost zero-five-seven.' Location…" But he stopped. "That's weird. these papers have some of the words scratched out." He said, reading a little bit of the papers aloud. "Someone went through these and edited it to their pleasing. Sharpie marks over some important details." He said as he put the papers back in the notepad binder, closed it and put it in his pack. "Definitely worth taking. Come on, let's keep searching the place."

"Shouldn't we report to Knuckles about the binder?" Charmy asked.

"Good point. Want to go ahead and take care of that one?" Espio asked.

"Sure." He obliged.

...

"I w-w-wonder if anyone else f-found anyth-thing." Ray said as him and Mighty were moving through a long hallway. The doors were flung open but surprisingly to them, these rooms were completely emptied. The contrast to the other parts of the facility raised suspicion in the squirrel and armadillo.

"I don't know. But it's a little odd these rooms have been cleared out." Mighty said, keeping up his guard for anything he might not expect.

"Look!" Ray shouted out as farther down the hall, a couple flashes were taking place. They looked like electrical flashes from a broken ceiling light but there hasn't been recorded power in the station for years.

"Let's check it out." And the two steadily moved forward. They stopped before an open door where the light was emulating from. Mighty barely poked his head into the doorway to see what was going on. He glanced around to see no one was in there. "Alright, the coast is clear." He said and the two entered the room.

They instantly looked around to see a number of computers with flashing monitors. Ray moved over to one where data was flashing through the screen at a rapid rate. Mighty moved to the central computer which also hosted a large blurry monitor. Beneath was a flashing red button that had a sideways triangle – 'play.' He hesitantly hit the button. The screen flashed and blipped a few times.

"Meh he he he!"

"What the–?" Mighty shouted out in surprise. Ray jumped back and stood behind his friend. The screen displayed blips and images of a distraught overlander. He wore a lab coat and had square glasses that rested so low on his nose, they looked like they were going to fall off any second. The man continued to sob for a short while as the video played with a time count in the bottom right hand corner. It read 19.8.2063 – 20:43 with the last set of numbers seemingly a time counter as they would change about every minute.

"Everything… It all went horribly wrong." The figure on the screen continued to blip in and out and he released unusual whimpers in between some of his words. "The Xorda are attacking the planet with weapons…" He sniffled before continuing. "weapons on the scale of nothing we have seen before. They plan to *_kshzz_* entire human race *_krshzz_*" The video started to cut in and out as now both the image and audio was clouded by static. "My family…I just got word they bombed Atlanta…My family… is *_ktzz_*" Mighty and Ray could do nothing but watch in a trance the haunting and curious spectacle that was before them. "Ivan took *_krtzzshhzz_* hands and secluded himself and Isaac in the underground lab at _*kkkzz_*." The video was getting worse and worse. Whatever had damaged the recording was getting close to terminating it. "Professor Clarke was killed earli– *_kshrrrshzz_*riot. I *_kzz_* not *_kzzzt_*. This is th– *_kshzt_* –nal log of the research file five-zero-six-eight-niner." The man on the screen let out a few sobs and sniffles again before continuing. "The da– *_ksshhzt_* –rmation found from the research proved and showed –" And the screen went blank for a moment. No image or audio. Then it picked back up again, just as quick as it let off. "This is Dr. *_kshtz_*Niven…Goodbye." The man raised a gun to his head. Quickly, Mighty dove for the keypad beneath the monitor and hit the same red flashing button he pressed before in a high-hope attempt to cut the video before the inevitable. Thankfully the video froze just before the man pulled the trigger.

"Well that was close." Mighty said, giving Ray a slight smile. He looked back at the screen and noticed something. "Hold up. Ray, do you see that?"

"W-what?"

"The counter. On the corner of the screen." He said, pointing to the numbers.

"Yeah, what about it?" The squirrel raised an eyebrow.

Mighty inspected the element one more time as it read 21:34 now. "Let me see something." He studied the keypad for a few moments and figured a large dial with arrows pointing left and right was what he was looking for. He twisted it and the video, still paused, rewound with every click of the dial. He stopped it just before the strange blackout of the screen before the man killed himself. "Look! Just before the video cuts out, the counter says 20:49 but after the blackout…" He swiveled the dial in the other direction which fast-forwarded the tape. "It says 21:34."

"Sooo, what d-does that mean?" His friend asked.

"It means someone either deleted part of the video… or took it and left the rest. Tails showed you some programming stuff didn't he?" The squirrel nodded slightly. "Do you think you can somehow transfer this to a removable file?"

Ray leaned onto the key pad and hit a button next to an input slot with the hunch it was an eject button. Fortunately, his hunch was correct as a scratched up disk slid out of the slot. "Or w-we could j-just take this." He said smartly.

"Knuckles, this is Charmy, come in. Over" Ray and Mighty heard come over their radios.

"This is Knuckles, send traffic. Over." While words were being exchanged over the radio, Ray slipped the disk into Mighty's pack and they left to regroup with the others.

"We found something with a lot of important information. About what, we don't really know. We're reporting back to you. Over." Charmy sounded off again as the two were headed back down the hallway.

"Umm, negative. Meet back in the main room. Over." The echidna said, with a little bit of an unsure tone.

"Bad copy. Where do we meet? Over."

"Where we split up. Su and I will be there in a bit. We found something as well. Knuckles out." Knuckles finished off with a strange tone in his voice. Like something just wasn't right.

Mighty and Ray caught onto it immediately and stopped to look at each other, just to make sure the other picked up on it. "I think there's something more to this place than we thought."

The door burst open and Julie su rushed in with her blaster held steady in both hands, ready for anything. But nothing was there. "Room clear." She said as Knuckles followed. The room was completely empty except for a peculiar desk in the very center of the room. This desk, however, was not destroyed like the other pieces of furniture in the facility; it was new. And on that desk was a single computer monitor.

"Knuckles, this is Charmy, come in. Over"

Knuckles fumbled around the side pockets of his pack to grab the radio. "This is Knuckles, send traffic. Over."

"We found something with a lot of important information. About what, we don't really know. We're reporting back to you. Over." Charmy said pretty casually over the radio.

The two echidnas approached the monitor and clicked one of the buttons. The screen blipped and words slowly faded into legibility.

'1 – Transmission received. 2 – Awaiting initiative action.'

"Umm, negative. Meet back in the main room. Over."

"Bad copy. Where do we meet? Over." The other end of the radio asked.

"Where we split up. Su and I will be there in a bit. We found something as well. Knuckles out." He stood there staring at the monitor with uncertainty.

"What do you think it means?" Julie su said a little frightened.

...

"I don't know. But I have a feeling we don't want any kind of 'initiative action' to take place. Unplug it." Knuckles commanded. Julie su hesitantly reached for the cord that plugged into the back of the monitor and yanked it out. Just as she did, the entire facility began to shake and rumble with loud crashing noises.

"I don't think it wanted to be unplugged!" Julie su said, trying to keep her balance in the small quakes. Knuckles looked back at the monitor, now reading '1 – Transmission received. 2 – Initiative action taken.'

"Shit." Knuckles said in sudden realization. "We're leaving, now!"

He grabbed Julie su's hand and they ran out of the room and down the hall. The ceiling was collapsing both in front and behind the two. A large piece of support from the floor above began to fall right above the two. Knuckles jumped up and punched through it, causing it to split and land around them, allowing them to continue running to make their escape.

"Hey, Knux! Where you at? I don't expect to become a pancake over the next few minutes!" Vector shouted over the radios. They didn't have time to respond so they kept on running. They dashed up the stairs to the main room where they were supposed to meet up with the rest of the group.

"Move! Move! Move!" The team lead shouted as the rest of the group didn't take a moment's hesitation for the order. They all bolted outside where they refused to even take the time to look back at the collapsing power station. They slipped through the gate and at a distance they felt safe, they finally turned around to see the destruction of the facility. They all panted from the sudden adrenaline rush and rested as a cloud of debris, dust, and smoke surrounded the foundation of the now leveled facility.

"Did we retrieve any intel?" Espio asked once his heart slowed down enough for him to speak.

"That's what you're wondering? Not why the hell did this place almost engulf us?" Vector shouted.

"Who ever made the connection between this place and the generator in the mountains wanted us to come here." Knuckles explained.

"What?" Mighty spoke up. "So this was a trap? An attempt to do us over?"

"That's what it would seem." Julie su said with better composure.

"I don't think it was all for nothing. We picked up something important." Charmy stated.

"S-same with m-me and m-mi-Mighty."

"Alright then. Let's get back home and check things out there. I'm ready for this day to be done." Knuckles said, as he pulled out a warp ring.

"I hear ya brutha." Vector added as he walked into the hovering circle. Charmy flew in after him where the greeting of an excited Saffron could be heard on the other side. Mighty and Ray went through next, then it was Espio and Julie su. Knuckles looked back at the demolished structure with one last thought, then turned and went through the warp ring just as it was closing.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

Wow. This was fast. Was not expecting to update so soon but I did this in one day and it just kept flowing so I went with it. Not expecting it to be so long either. And with this being written in one day, I think it turned out very well! And kind of an impacting chapter too. Crazy stuff going on O_o

Also, I want to raise awareness of my story Rush. I really want to continue writing it but I don't think it has one view yet. It is a cross over between a few characters from some of my favorite games and they are involved in a bank heist. Sounds corny and like a total 'fanfic' but I think it's one of my most well written works and I have a lot planned for it if I have the support. I don't like to throw things in people's faces so this will be the only time I mention it. Now back to Heroes.

Can't wait for this story to keep developing. (Let me tell you a secret, I've been making it up as I go - but I'm starting to get a good idea of where it's heading. It gonna be good.) And until next time,

Read! Review! and Enjoy!


	5. Betrayal

Still a Need for Heroes

Chapter 5: Betrayal

"Listen Amy, I'm too busy this weekend to take you for a test ride." Tails strained to explain to the hedgehog as she begged to partake in the test trails of his upgraded Sea Fox.

He was lying on his back underneath a discombobulated turbine engine suspended by an engine crane, working on the underside of the piece of machinery. He of course was in his workshop; the large garage door was open which presented the main form of entrance into the facility. The Sea Fox was up on a lift in the back while the two turbines were detached from the watercraft and hoisted in the air so he could work on them individually. The natural light of the afternoon was enough to illuminate the building but some close lamps proved effective for the dark crooks of his projects. Amy was standing nearby either anxious for something to do or just wanting someone to bother at the moment.

"Oh come on! I promise I'll be good." She tried to convince the young fox to no avail.

"Sorry, I'm not even risking myself on this one. Until I get the final checks in, I'm using a completely automated system that will be able to calculate any discrepancies that may occur during trials." He said sincerely, trying to protect both his project and his friendship with Amy. "Besides," he scooted out from under the thing for a brief moment to point to the piece he was working on, "as you can see, the turbines aren't even attached at this point." After the statement he returned to his hiding place below the turbine.

"Fine. I see how it is Tails." She said, storming off in an ignorant rage and blowing past Sonic as he entered the scene. He looked back puzzled at the furious woman hoping she wouldn't take her rage out on him for some reason. She might be small with a lot of pink but as they all knew since they met her, she was pretty intimidating when angry.

Tails let out a sigh, continuing his project. "Well at least she's out of the picture." He strapped down a few more bolts on the turbine, closing up the shell of the section. Then slid out from underneath the thing one final time and grabbed an already greased up shop towel to wipe off his hands.

"What's up buddy? What's with Amy?" Sonic asked still curious.

"Oh she's just mad because I won't take her for a test ride in the Sea Fox this weekend. I told her no one is actually going to be in the thing but that didn't change the fact." He said with a light smile. "You know Amy." He moved over to a nearby table and picked up a notepad.

"Yeah, unfortunately." He joked as he rested his elbow on the other suspended turbine. "So you going to be working in here all day?"

"Well I think I'm about to wrap it up, I've been here since morning anyway. I think I fixed the problem with the fluid flux through the alternator so I'm going to take it over to the lake to test it out." He said browsing through the list he wrote on the notepad; running through a checklist for the reconfiguration of the turbine he was working on.

"Come on Tails, you know I don't speak _engineer_." The hedgehog said jokingly as the fox set down his checklist and began pushing the engine crane toward the large garage door of his workshop.

"Trust me – if I tried to explain it, you'd be even more lost. Want to help me with this thing?" He said, making slow progress on the heavy rollers of the crane.

"Sure." Sonic moved over and helped his friend push the device to a small lake that was close by. It was not a far distance, a hundred feet or so behind the workshop, but engine cranes are not genuinely meant for long travel.

"Almost… There, we're good." Tails signaled to stop pushing the crane so the engine was hovering over the water. He turned the crank and lowered the turbine into the water for testing. "Alright, ready for this?" He said bending over the submerged turbine and reaching for the master switch. Sonic moved back just out of natural reaction, just in case anything went wrong.

He flipped the switch and all was well… for a few seconds. The turbine started expulsing gas in the form of a noticeable storm of bubbles which didn't help the rapid spark flashes from being seen. A mere instant later the entire engine shorted out and came to a stop.

"Oh man." He said in disappointed confusion.

"Sorry buddy." Sonic said feeling a bit awkward standing back silently during the quick fiasco.

"No big deal." He said as he turned the crank in the opposite direction, raising the engine out of the water where steam immediately started rising from the machine's shell as soon as it surfaced from the water. "Now if only Amy could have seen that, she might take my words a little more seriously." He pulled the engine crane away from the lake side and was quickly joined by Sonic as the two began gently pushing it back to the workshop.

"What do you think went wrong?"

"It looked electrical. I just need to run a diagnostic to be sure but that'll wait for another day." Tails explained as they moved through the large garage door. They stopped where the crane was located before and left it be. "I'll be out in a bit. Just need to put the tools away."

Sonic moved outside and leaned up against the shop walls. It was not long before Tails came out and closed up the door. "Good to go?" He asked.

"You betcha." Tails responded as him and Sonic began walking together to where ever their destination was. "So what's the plan?"

*o*

'Let's see here…' Mina the mongoose thought as she was walking back from a quick meeting with her record label company. Just minor business dealing with the upcoming tour but even the little things has to be taken care of. It was just her this time as it dealt with publicity relations; since she was the headline of the band she was usually the one in the spotlight. 'I told Ash I was going to stop by for some eggs and groceries on the way back…' She thought again, stopping a few feet from the outside of the market. She stood in internal contemplation for a few moments before coming to her conclusion. 'Nah. If I go in there, I won't leave for a while. Besides, we can get eggs tomorrow or something.'

She continued walking through the residential portion of Acorn City. Finding the day a particularly beautiful one, she took a deep inhale of the sweet summer air. She walked past Tail's workshop, seeing he must have left since her meeting with the record company. It was a common sight for her to see him working on something in there on the weekends as her and Ash's normal path to get from their place to the rest of the city went right by his workshop.

She continued walking under the shade of trees that decorated the sidelines of the walkways and passed by a small coffee shop where right near the window was Bunnie and Antoine talking, laughing, and sipping on what was most likely tea inside the little café. She smiled at the two and suddenly got the urge to be back with Ash at their place and just enjoy each other's company. With melodies softly soaring through her mind, she added a little hop in her step as she approached her and her fiancé's residency.

She moved up to the door and grabbed the handle. She almost ran into the door, expecting it to open while not even budging. "Weird. I don't remember locking this." She said as she began digging for her keys in her hand bag. She pulled them out and opened the door. She moved into the living room where she expected Ash to be sitting on the couch watching television but he wasn't there. She brushed it off and went up to their room to drop her stuff off.

She approached seeing the door closed and smiled. She smirked and rolled her eyes at her fiancé's laziness as he was probably taking a nap. She cracked the door silently, hoping not to wake him but something was wrong. Instead of complete peaceful silence with the soft sound of air filling and raising his chest, she heard something else.

She threw open the door and saw Ash bouncing up and down shirtless on top of another girl. The girl let out a small squeak catching the attention of Ash and making him turn around to see a horrified Mina. He instantly stopped and got off the other girl. "Mina, I thought you would be gone longer!" He said in natural response, as if it would make what he just did acceptable.

"I thought we were getting married." She said taking the utmost of her strength to keep her composure enough to still speak. She turned around, slammed the door behind her and took off out the front door. Tears were already running down her face by the time she made it outside and sobs were soon to follow.

"Mina!" Ash shouted as he burst through the front door, hastily trying to put on one of his usual long sleeve buttoned shirts but leaving it unbuttoned revealing his sweaty chest. But she didn't respond and kept walking. "Mina!" He shouted again, catching up to her. "Mina." He said one final time, placing his hand on her shoulder but she found the notion uninviting and threw off his arm.

She turned around and began reaming the adulterer. "What the hell Ash! Who is she and what the fuck were you doing!" She asked already knowing what he was doing.

Ash tried to speak but only babbles arose from his throat, "Look, I –uh, she –"

"I don't want to hear it." She said softly as she closed her eyes and dropped her head, allowing a few tears to fall onto the ground. "I trusted you. I loved you." She looked back at him with both rage and sadness in her expression. "All this time, I thought you cared about me. I opened up to you and this is what ends up happening?"

"Listen, Mina, I can explain."

"You've already said enough. Pictures are worth a thousand words but that one just told me two. We're through." She said turning around for hopefully one last time but she was stopped again. Ash grabbed her arms and spun her around, pulling her into a close embrace and dove in for a passionate kiss. Mina accepted it at first and only for an instant before being reminded of the context. She pushed him off, switching from a mixture of anger and sorrow to full on fury. "Do you think that will change anything? I don't think you realize. We were engaged!"

"I know, I messed up." He said humbly.

"Yeah you did. How long has this been going on?" She asked him with desperate eyes. He turned his head and looked away, not able to bear the shame that adjoined looking at her in the eyes. He didn't respond. "That's it. And even after getting crap from you for all this time about that thing with Sonic a few years back. Did you just think I was some lackey of yours? I was yours but you weren't mine?"

"It's not like that." The other mongoose said, attempting to open up his turn in the discussion.

"Yeah right. Look, I'm sorry you had rough younger years but the only thing that's holding you back from making a better life right now is yourself. Just because you had issues doesn't mean you can cause more for others." She made her last statement and walked away.

She must have stricken a sensitive note in him because his soft and humble, forgiveness seeking attitude suddenly adopted Mina's anger. "Yeah? So you're just going to walk out on me? I'm your manager remember! Without me, you and your band are through! You ungrateful!" He continued to shout as she walked away. "Where would you be without me? Crying in your room over the false death of your little lovehog? Lying in a hospital bed because of a bomb in your dressing room? Sitting all alone after your mother's death? Get out of here!" But after that statement, the mongoose let out a few more heavy huffs before realizing what he had just done; who he just drove away. He plopped down on a chair that sat on their porch and began to cry heavily, regretting everything he just said and did.

Mina at this point took in every word he was shouting while she stormed off. Her rage was drained out and replaced with overwhelming depression. She got out of sight of the house and finally broke down. She fell to the ground, her legs not having the strength to keep her up anymore. She leaned her back on a fence that lined the portion of the walkway she was on and let sob after sob engulf her. Everything was right in her life before this day. She couldn't bear to even think about the treachery she just endured without whimpering in dreadful hurt. She dug her fingers into the loose ground and punched the earth just to try and relieve herself from the pain. But nothing helped. He was right on one thing though, and this fact probably hurt her the most; he was there for her. For every trouble she endured in her life, she could count on the comfort of his arms and soft kisses on her cheek and neck to put her back on her feet. But now, her trouble was the only one who was able to comfort her. Who could she turn too? Who was left to give her warmth in a cold and dark world? She felt lost and hopeless. Like everything caved in on top of her.

She sat crying for a few more minutes before regaining the strength to walk at least a little further. But where would she walk too? Her and Ash moved in together a year or so back. She had nowhere to go. She continued to walk down the street, taking random turns. She didn't know where she was going but she didn't care. Her mind was not focused on the direction her feet were in rather on the scaring image burnt in her brain of Ash's betrayal. Another left, then a right, down so many side streets, she stopped again, not able to walk again for a short moment. She leaned her back on a tree and slid down the trunk to the ground. She didn't mind the scratches she as getting from the rough bark of the tree; it actually felt good to feel physical pain instead of what she was feeling.

She was not sitting there for long when across the way she looked at the mailbox of one of the houses. 'Rose.' She smiled knowing she needed comfort, and believing she knew who would be able to give it to her. She walked up to the door of the house and knocked weakly, begging for Amy to be there; what she needed was a friend, any of her friends, to open up to. Whether it be Sally, Sonic, Tails or whoever. Amy was just the lucky one she came across first.

A few seconds passed and the door was opened. "Hey Mina! Oh my… girl what happened?" She said as Mina flew onto Amy in a hug and muffled weeps. "Come inside." She said, rubbing her friend's back as she directed her to the living area. The vast amount of pink would have normally thrown her off but she was not fixated on the décor of the room at the moment.

Mina came in and sat on the couch and immediately buried her face in her hands. Amy was conveniently making tea and brought the distraught mongoose a cup. She sat down next to her patted her knee. "Alright, what's going on?"

"I…" She sniffled a little and wiped her nose on her sleeve. "I– I was walking home and I told Ash I was going to the market beforehand. And…" She sniffled again.

"It's alright, take your time." Amy said comfortingly.

"I decided to skip the market and just come right home. When I did…" She began to cry into one of her hands. Amy put down her tea and began rubbing Mina's back again. Mina pulled her hand away from her face and took a deep breath. She exhaled and came out with it. "I caught Ash with another girl."

"Oh my." Amy said shocked. She processed the statement for a moment then came up with a response. "Do you want me to get my hammer?"

Mina chuckled a little. "No." Although she liked the idea, it was not like her to wish pain upon someone. "I just need someone to talk to right now."

"Well you came to the right place. Do you know why he did it?" She asked curiously.

"No. I asked him how long it was going on and he didn't answer." She said painstakingly.

"I'm sorry." Amy said, bringing Mina in for a hug. "If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thanks Amy." The heart shaken mongoose whimpered as she wiped away a tear from her eye. "I don't know what happened. Did I do something wrong?" She asked pondering how this could have come about.

"Don't say that! He was a jerk!" Amy snapped back.

Mina dropped her head a little. "I know he didn't get along with a lot of you guys but he was really a good guy. Well, I thought he was." She answered a little solemnly. "How could I have let this happen?" She began to cry again.

"Listen, I'm not saying for you to get over him in the next few minutes. It took me to finally accept Sonic and Sally's marriage about a year! But you can't blame yourself for this. He wasn't good enough for you if he thought he could get away with cheating on you." Amy said, preceding a sip of her tea.

"But we were engaged!" She took another swipe at a few tears. She hadn't taken one sip of her tea yet, letting it get cold on the coffee table in front of the couch they were sitting on. She raised her left palm in contemplation and tilted it back so the gleaming diamond ring on her ring finger was shining in her face. "I wonder what he was thinking when he gave me this ring."

At that, Amy didn't have a comment. She honestly didn't know what he could have been thinking at the time. Mina never found out how long it had been going on. Could he have been doing this since before he proposed? If so, why even bother asking her for marriage.

"Come on. I know exactly what will cheer you up." Amy stood up and said.

The sorrow songoose sniffled a little. "What?"

"You want to go get some ice cream? Always helps me when I have guy issues. What do you say? My treat."

Mina thought for a moment, then smiled. "I'd like that." She wiped her nose on her sleeve, stood up, and took a deep breath. She followed Amy out of the house, not bothering to pick up the cups of tea that rested on the coffee table when they left.

The walk to the ice cream parlor was a quiet one. Mina wanted to continue talking but knew she would breakdown if she did. She figured it was best to continue to open up while her and Amy were at their destination. Amy knew not to ask about it and to wait to let Mina speak on her own accord when she was ready. It seemed to take a while, and if it didn't the silence sure made it longer, but they arrived nonetheless.

They entered in and sat down at a booth. Mina immediately rested her droopy head on her fists; the sadness seemed to add an aged sagginess to her appearance. Amy let her sit for a bit as she got their treats. "Alright big girl." She said placing the desserts in front of their respective consumer.

She took one bite, paused, then her face began to scrunch up again. "Amy?"

"Yeah?"

"How did it feel when Sonic got married to the princess?" She asked now spinning her spoon in the large sundae.

"It was terrible. I guess I was just ignorant but all this time I was dead sure it was going to be me and him. I didn't even believe it when we all got word of it. I actually thought about not going to the ceremony." The hedgehog explained. She took a spoon full and crammed it in her mouth. "I felt like my world was over."

Mina's head dropped a little but after a little thought her expression lightened. "And you're fine now right?" She sniffled.

Amy smiled. "I've never been better." She reached out and put her hand on her friend's that so limply rested on the table. "This is going to be hard. I'm not going to lie. But you're a strong woman, you will get over it. Maybe not now, maybe not in the next few weeks but trust me. You will." Mina gave her a sincere expression as a tear formed in the pit of her eye, not from pain but from the care she was receiving from a friend. "Now eat your ice cream. You don't want it to melt do ya?" She winked, taking another bite of her own ice cream. Mina followed suit.

The quiet atmosphere of the creamery was soon interrupted by laughs and cheers from a two tailed fox and a hedgehog that burst through the doors. "Oh man. The look on his face!" Tails burst out as Sonic's laughs began to die down.

"And I didn't even see him! He was just…there." Sonic exclaimed.

"Yeah and then your response didn't really help! '_Hello sir…king…brother_.'" The fox responded and the two's larks escalated again and after reaching the tipping point, the chuckles slowly spilled out of their systems and died.

"I'll take a cherry-chocolate Sunday." Sonic stated to the dog working behind the counter.

"Just a cone for me." The canine quickly whipped up their orders and handed it to them respectively. Tails took about one lick of his cone before seeing the back of Amy's head and a depressed Mina sitting in a booth by the corner. "Hey Sonic, what's wrong with Mina?"

Sonic turned and saw the same sight. "I don't know." He said with a worried look and began heading in their direction. Tails followed. "Hey girls, how's it going?" He said as he approached the table. "Something wrong Mina?" He said, taking the seat next to her. Tails scooted in next to Amy.

"She's having some issues right now." Amy stated, watching out for the songoose, not knowing whether she wanted the information to be public just yet. But Mina was about to answer that question for her.

"Ash cheated on me!" She yelped and clutched Sonic in a death grip. She began sobbing into his shoulder.

After the initial shock of her reaction, he returned the embrace and began patting her back. "Hey there. It's alright." He said not being as good as comfort as Amy. Mina pulled herself off of him and returned to her original position, moping over her half melted sundae. Sonic slid closer to her and continued to rest his hand on her back, gently rubbing it. "I'm sure there's an explanation with it. I'm sure he didn't mean it."

"I caught him doing it." She snorted before continuing. "We fought afterwards."

"Oh." Sonic sounded as he remained corrected. Tails gave him a smirk and a shrug that simply said 'yikes.'

"We had everything going for us. Oh and now even the band is threatened." She said hysterically, losing most of her composure.

"Come on Mina. The Knots are big enough to pick up a new manager at the snap of a finger. You shouldn't worry about that." Sonic confirmed.

"But what if the band sides with him?"

"Sides with him? For what! He's the one that cheated you." Amy said with passion.

"I just…" She dropped her head and spun her spoon in the sundae that was slowly resembling a chunk of ice in a bowl of soup. "I just don't know what to think anymore. Who to believe, who to trust. I don't know what to do."

"Mina." Tails spoke up with a solid tone. "I know you really liked Ash and even though he was a jerk to all of us, we accepted you two because we knew he meant something very important to you. Honestly, you should question who to trust. But look at who is with you right now. We've been through a lot together and we have never failed you. And even Sally, Rotor, Bunnie and Antoine. You came to us after you were freed from Robotropolis all those years back and nothing has changed. We're your friends. This is going to take a lot of time to get over but trust me, everything will work out for the better. And you've got plenty of friends to turn to." The table fell silent with his unexpected words but the one goal for the speech was achieved as Mina stopped sniffling. The tears stalled in the lids of her eyes and a smile arose from her face.

"Thanks Tails." She looked down at her half melted dish. "I guess I could still salvage a little bit of this." She said finally putting her spoon to its proper use. With her mouth full of ice cream, she didn't hesitate to ask one more question. "But where am I going to stay?" She prosed knowing she didn't want to go back to the joint house of her and Ash's.

"You can stay at my place." Amy stepped forward without hesitation.

Mina smiled again. "Thanks." She finished the little bit of her ice cream that was actually ice cream and plopped her spoon on the table, signifying she was done.

"Feeling a bit better?" Amy asked sincerely. Mina nodded. Sonic got up out of the booth to allow Mina out and Tails did the same for Amy. "I guess it's back to my place. I'll set up the guest room for you." They were just about at the door when the hedgehog stopped however. "Oh shoot!"

"What is it Amy?" Sonic asked.

"I forgot, I have something I need to pick up from a friend in a few minutes! Sonic, what are you doing right now?" They passed through the doors of the parlor and stopped just outside.

"Well Sally has been wondering where I've been ever since I left this morning and I'm sure Elias would like an explanation why I almost ran him over earlier." The hedgehog said pretty blatantly. Tails suppressed and laughed up one's sleeve at that statement, remember why the two were cracking up when they first arrive at the creamery.

"What about you Tails?"

"I've got time. Why?" He responded.

"Mind if you walk Mina back to my place? I shouldn't be long." Amy asked and stated.

"Oh you don't have to do that. I'm fine." The mongoose said still sniffling every so often.

"It's not a big deal, really." Tails said as he extended his hand to take the key to the house that Amy was offering.

"Alright then, I'll be there shortly." The hedgehog said as she headed off in the opposite direction of her residency.

"I'll catch up to you guys sometime. Hang in there girl." Sonic said as he too departed after giving Mina a quick wink, allowing the two to start their short journey back.

"So I'm guessing this just happened today?" Tails said trying to keep a conversation on their walk.

"Yeah. I have to thank you Tails for what you said back there. You're right. I am a little uncertain right now and I don't think I can trust anyone for a while but you guys are my friends. I know you all won't let me down." She said a little more lighthearted than she had been earlier. Only a little.

"No problem. I don't really mention it much but I went through the same thing with Fiona a few years back. Thought she was everything I imagined. I even got in a fight with Sonic about it after he went out with her." The fox cocked his head back a little and rolled his eyes in slight embarrassment. "I felt the same thing; betrayal from my best friend but look how things turned out. Fiona turned into Scourge's lackey." He said humorously which transferred to Mina causing a slight giggle. "It took me what seemed like forever to get over her. Even after she went to Moebius, I still thought about her. But I pulled through, and I know you will too."

"I really appreciate it Tails." She let out a smirk. "So how's the Sea Fox coming?" She said, trying to draw away from the current subject.

"It's going. That's for sure. Tested the turbine this morning."

"And?" She sniffled again. It was becoming just a mindless reaction at this point.

Tails shifted his head from side to side. "Ehhh."

"Not so good?" She gritted, judging his expression.

"It flared up. Something electrical but I'll get it eventually." He explained.

"Ah." Was all she responded. She looked over at the fox and for the first time noticed he was a bit taller than her. She never really took note of it but he had been for a few years now. She began to speak her mind. "Since when did you get so tall?"

"Huh?" Tails looked at her not exactly sure what she meant.

"Yeah. I remember when you were just a little vulpine and now you're giving me relationship advice." She joked.

"_Little_ vulpine? You do know you're not all that older than me." He chuckled. "I don't think you have the authority to say I was so _little_ back in the day."

"I know." She smiled and sniffled again. She raised her arm up to her nose and again wiped the snot on her sleeve.

Tails caught on and undid his handkerchief that was tied around his neck. "Here."

"What?" She said as a natural reflex.

"How about you blow your nose instead of continuing to wipe it on your arm." Mina took the offer and grabbed the handkerchief. She normally would be embarrassed at the statement but knew he was probably just trying to help. She blew her nose a few times and took a deep breath with a nose that was at least a little bit clearer.

They had already arrived at the house. The walk between these two did not seem to take as long as the one between Mina and Amy to the parlor but they didn't hold up much of a conversation in that time. "Thanks for walking me."

"Hey, no problem. I'm sure anyone would have." He said, giving the key to the mongoose. "Just don't bottle all this stuff up like I did. Talk to Amy, or Sally. They'll help you out." He finished with some advice of his own as she made her way to the front door.

"Thanks." She smiled and waved before opening the door to the house and closing it behind her.

Tails headed out and began walking back to his workshop. "Now back to that damn turbine…" He mumbled.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>:

Not much action in this chapter but I'll make up for that as the story progresses. There are a lot of side stories in this fanfic I might add to just stick with me.

I don't know how the 'feel' for this chapter went. Wrote it while in a good mood and it's not really a 'good mood' chapter. A little comfort in there but still. I also just found out that I can respond to reviews...I think (as I've said I'm still not used to everything on here). So if you review you may get a response if I deem it necessary. Maybe a little more incentive to review, eh?

With that being said,

Read, REVIEW (I can only improve if you tell me where I go wrong), and Enjoy!


	6. Something New

Still a Need for Heroes

Chapter 6: Something New

The day has been a long one. King Elias has been working feverishly with Sir Charles for hours trying to piece together the events over the past few days. It didn't help that they decided to seclude themselves for the day until they figured at least something out. The two events in the mountains and in Mercia was enough to raise alarm for the democratic monarch but it all seemed more like an anarchist trick or prank than anything suspicious. They have dealt with matters similar before. But with this, the one thing that was pulling at their hair was something else. Something only those two picked up and that not even Sally and her team or the Chaotix knew or found on their missions. In fact, it wasn't anything to be _found_, rather received; an anonymous message to the king.

Elias sat sideways at a nearby table with an elbow resting on the table top and the respective hand raised to his face, stressfully rubbing his forehead. Once he felt his forehead has been massaged enough he dropped the forearm onto the rest of the table making a notable 'thump' before he spoke. "So we've concluded the message nonthreatening, correct?"

"I would say so. It seems more like a statement of information rather than any threat or request. But if that's the case, I don't know why anyone would go through the effort of it all." Sir Charles said as she removed his spectacles and rubbed the lenses on his coat. He was still wearing the lower portion of his councilor uniform but the top was removed many hours ago for mostly comfort reasons. The king did the same with his upper garment for the same reasons. "What boggles me is how this person managed to receive relatively intact data that is over 10,000 years old." The aged hedgehog pulled out the sensitive disk that Mighty and Ray discovered in Mercia and examined it with a few glances. "I'm also surprised it uses lasers to read the disk just like our own." He placed the disk back into its containment chamber to keep it preserved. "Almost haunting even." He mumbled.

Elias swiveled to sit at the table properly and now he had both forearms on the table top. He extended out and grabbed the anonymous message they were referencing to.

'_I have placed it upon myself to inform King Elias Acorn that nearly 12,000 years ago the Xorda attacked Planet Earth with gene altering biological weapons which in turn nearly irradiated the human race, and brought up the current race of Mobians and Overlanders. Though this information may already be known, I wish to notify that further research will be conducted._'

"Well it's definitely connected to the facility in Mercia, thanks to The Chaotix' findings, and if it's connected to that then it's connected to the reactor in the mountains." Sir Charles added as he moved toward the king and leaned on the same table he was seated at.

"But how?"

"Beats the hell out of me." He responded with a light chuckle. His mustache twitched with each comedic huff.

"And what in the name of Acorn does 'research' mean?" King Elias let out a huge sigh as he threw his head back, staring blankly at the ceiling now. "I wish Knuckles and them would have recovered the authorization file before the place went down." He mused.

"Even if they did, we don't know if this person would have compromised that as well. If whoever this is was able to fake an authorization signal, then he probably could have altered the files." Sir Charles grabbed a glass of water from the table and began drinking from it.

"And that's another thing, Chuck. Why fake an authorization? Without that, the whole mess with the reactor would have looked like just a mistake in the mastercoding. With it, we know someone tampered with it." The monarch posed.

He put down his glass of water. "Well judging by the message you received, I think he wanted us to receive that disk over there. So until we can further find out the intent of this person, there is only one thing I wish to know. Was the reactor altered just to grab our attention? Or was that just a benefit of something bigger?"

The two remained in silent thought for a short moment until finally Elias stood up. "Though no immediate threat to the Kingdom of Acorn or her allies took place, I cannot make this a top investigative priority but I feel this may come to be a new threat. Thankfully, falsification of official documentation and tempering with a government system is an offense so we can still take some action. I will send a team of technicians to the reactor again to see if there is anything else that this person could have done." He grabbed his coat and cloak and swung them over their shoulder.

"Shouldn't you at least send Tails? He was the one that reconfigured it after the incident a few days ago." The hedgehog proposed.

"Perhaps. But I have a new mission for him and the others. Those papers Espio picked up talked about a security outpost. According to the report, they were seemingly tossed into one of the few rooms that were not cleared out. I think they were intended to be discarded with the debris but Espio's keen eye was able to spot it out. This may give us a lead on our suspect. I want to have Sally and the others to look into it. Tails included."

Sir Charles let out a smirk on the quick and sharp thinking of the King. "Then let it be done." He said with a smile.

Elias returned the smile. "Now I don't know about you but we've been at this for a while now. I think it's good to call it a day."

"I couldn't agree more."

*o*

Sally stirred in her bed as he slowly came out of the coma of a good night's sleep. She lightly brushed her hands around where Sonic's figure should have been but his usual spot was now vacant. Her eyes crept open in morning confusion as to why he still wasn't sound asleep like normally. Not only was it odd that he was up first, saving her from practically prying him out of bed, but the sweet aroma of warm bacon and a solid breakfast fluxed into her nostrils. Her nose almost lifted her whole body out of bed as she floated down the hall to see Sonic in the kitchen humming gracefully while flipping pancakes in a skillet.

"Well this is a surprise." The princess said with an adoring smirk.

Sonic caught the pancake one last time and turned toward her with skillet still in hand. "What? I can't make breakfast?" He smiled. Sally moved over to the table and took a seat behind one of the pre-setup silverware and dining utensils. Sonic scooped out the final pancake from the pan and placed it on a plate complete with a stack of previously completed pancakes. He set down the skillet, turned off the stove, and grabbed two plates – the one with the pancakes and another topped with bacon and sausage – and walked over to the table. He set the plates down almost like a center piece and served Sally a little bit from each plate, then did the same for himself as he sat right next to her.

Sally used the side of her fork to cut a square off of a pancake and ate it. "So that whole mess with Mina." She stated initiating the conversation, only after she finished chewing of course.

"I know. Was not expecting that." Sonic said before putting a similar piece of his pancakes into his mouth. "Even if Ash always was a jerk."

"Sonic!"

He swallowed his food before continuing. "What? He had this grudge against me for years for reasons I don't even think he knows and besides, he kind of proved that fact by cheating on her." He explained.

"I guess. It's just weird. They were so good together. It seemed he really loved her too."

"Well Tails was telling me about it. Apparently she's really torn up about it."

"Well I would say so!" She responded lightly but forcefully. "What is she going to do?"

"She's staying at Amy's place until they have things arranged and she gets over it all. He's been trying to call her almost constantly is what I heard." The hedgehog said still talking and continuing his meal. He grabbed a sausage link as it was Sally's turn.

"What about their tour? Do you know?" She asked curiously.

"They're going to continue it but first they have to find a new manager. It'll be hard on such short notice but they're big enough; they could probably pull it off."

"I hope things work out for her. That's just awful."

"You're telling me. Haven't talked to her yet but Tails keeps telling me she's thankful for Amy and the rest of her band at this point. They're all helping her through this." Sonic explained, not minding to pause from eating.

"We should pay her a visit today." Sally suggested as her too was coming close to finishing her first serving.

Sonic noticed this and grabbed the plate of pancakes. "Want more?" He offered.

"Thanks." She stopped taking in what was going as he dished out more flapjacks then smiled contently at the act. "This is wonderful Sonic."

The hedgehog shrugged. "Why shouldn't you get anything less?" He said a bit cornily as he gave her a sincere smile and adjoining look.

Sally melted partly at those words. She leaned in and gave him a passionate kiss. She could taste the maple syrup on his lips as he probably could do the same with her. She pulled away with a sudden thought and cocked up an eyebrow. "You didn't do anything did you?"

Sonic chuckled. "No."

But her facial expression didn't change. "What did you do?"

"Nothing!" He said a bit frantically. "If I did I'd have probably high tailed it out of the house before you even woke up." He said jokingly.

Sally's expression slowly eased back to a normal one as she continued eating with a quick comment of an "ok" before putting a piece of her freshly dished out pancakes in her mouth.

…

The days have recently been very nice for the summer season. It was not real hot but the sun did its job. The air kept the sun from battering the creatures below as it gently blew and calmed the environment. The nights were equally as glorious as it was not too hot or cold and often people would remain outside into the late evening to enjoy it. Sonic and Sally decided to head out for the day and enjoy the weather and take advantage of the fact that Elias has been busy for the past few days and has not given them any job to do. In fact, Sally wondered what was going on as the king recently secluded himself with Sonic's Uncle Chuck but she learned a few years back the consequences of constantly badgering him. Despite feeling and acting as the monarch for a good chunk of her life, he was the king after all, not her.

Sonic and Sally began their stroll with a visit to the lake of rings. The choa were making their little chirps and babbles that added to the ambience of the area as they were walking by. This was quickly noticed. "Ahh." Sally sighed. "It's such a good day."

"I'll say." Sonic said slightly lifting his free hand, the one not being occupied by Sally's, as to feel the wind between his fingertips. "I would say I should go for a run but…"

They let the pause sit there for a bit. "But?" Sally beckoned for him to finish his statement out of curiosity.

He smiled. "I don't know. Maybe I just don't feel like doing anything, maybe it is the weather." He answered not even sure himself.

"It's not the fact that you want to spend the whole day with me?"

"Oof, the whole day?" He joked.

Sally broke the connection their hands were having and gave him a playful punch to the shoulder. "Very funny. Jerk." She simpered similarly.

Sonic responded by putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. She then placed her arm around his back. "You can't deny it. You love me." He said in taunting response to her last comment.

"Hmph." She huffed. "Well at least you got that right." She turned toward him and moved in to be face to face where Sonic then continued the action and gave her a good kiss. They pulled apart but their eyes were telling each other they wanted more, even just a small peck and they complied.

They continued their stroll when a familiar voice called out to them. "Ah always thought you two were such uh cute couple." They turned to see Bunnie and Antoine seemingly doing the same thing as Sonic and Sally; enjoying the day.

"Like peas in a pod, am I correct?" Antoine added.

"Bunnie, Antoine! What are you two up to?" Sally asked the two. Once they caught up, they continued walking now as a group.

"Just enjoying a bon day." The coyote answered. "We were zinking of hitting the beach but ze park is just as good. May I ask the same for you?"

"Nailed it right on the spot Ant. Just enjoying a good day as well." Sonic said.

"So I heard about what happened to Mina. Just awful, the poor girl." Bunnie conversed. The break-up must be the hot topic for the week. Unfortunately celebrity scandals always tend to be a more popular topic.

"Yeah, we were just talking about that this morning. I hope everything works out for her." Sally stated.

"Shameful for a man to do such a thing. Never liked that Ash character." Antoine added.

"That's what I'm saying!" Sonic responded and threw a fist in the frenchman's direction. Antoine answered Sonic's beckon and gave him the fist bump he was looking for.

"Other than the party, Ah haven't seen those two for such a while. Ah feel like I should do something for her." The rabbit said a little worrisome and sorrowful for the mongoose.

"Same situation for me. I've just been so busy recently. The past few days have been my first big break in what seems like a while." The princess exclaimed.

"Why is that?"

"Well Elias has left a lot of the PR work for him and the council up to me as well as placed me in charge of numerous field projects. But ever since that reactor in the mountains," She turned to Sonic since he knew what she was talking about seeing as the D'Coolettes were not present then. "he's been closed off a bit. Him and you're uncle are working on something I think."

"Well it sounds like to me with all the increased workload that he's training you." Bunnie implied something with a smile.

"Well he has been hinting…" She drifted off a bit before snapping back to. "Uh uh, I'm perfectly happy _not_ being the head of the Kingdom. Being a princess is enough as it is. Besides, I doubt this guy would be up for the challenge." She flung her thumb in Sonic's direction as she joked at his non-kingly character.

"Up for a challenge is one thing. I just don't want to deal with all the bows, curtsies, and formalities." The hedgehog sneered back.

"Besides, 'King Sonic' does not have ze ring." Antoine added.

"I don't know," he smirked, "I think it sounds pretty nice."

"Oh Great Dixie, we're adding to that ego of his." Bunnie said taking her jabs.

"Oh come on, I'm sure Sonic would be a great king if it came down to it." Sally said, reassuring him as she leaned and got close while hugging the hedgehog's arm.

"Well like you said, 'if it comes down to it' so let's talk about something else, shall we?" He asked and crossed his arms to emphasize his request.

"Sure thing sugahog. We're only teasing."

"I know. It's just…something about the whole idea of being a king weirds me out. Something about me being in charge of a whole kingdom I guess."

Antoine rested an elbow on Sonic's shoulder's in a spirited manner. "You know what zey say. Zat a peasant may become king does not render the kingdom free." He said, continuing the jokes past his wife's agreement to stop with them.

Sonic pushed off his friend's arm from his shoulder. "Oh hardy har har. What are you saying anyway?" But Antoine didn't answer with word, just laughs and chuckles.

Almost on cue, a strange noise suddenly erupted from Sally's vest pocket. She stopped and pulled out a small communicator. "Speaking of kings…" She muttered. "I hear you Elias." She responded then paused for the king's turn to speak. "He's right here with me as well as the D'Coolettes… Tomorrow?...Now?" She dropped her head and let out a sigh. "We'll be over immediately." She hit a couple buttons on the communicator and placed it back in her pocket then turned to her entourage to explain. "That was Elias. He has a urgent mission for us."

"Us? As in–" Bunnie began to ask but Sally was quick to answer.

"All of us. It seems they found something that needs our immediate attention."

"When does he call us for?" Antoine asked showing as he rarely does that English is his second language.

"He wants us to leave first thing tomorrow morning. We need to head to the castle; he wants to brief us on it right now." She said seriously.

…

They made it over to the castle where they were escorted to one of the conference rooms. In the room was nearly the entire retired Freedom Fighters ready for action. Even Nicole was standing by to give or relate any aid or info if necessary. The only exception was Rotor who was still present along with the rest of the council but he remained in his councilor uniform. They were all waiting for the King to explain the sudden call. The four, Sally Sonic Bunnie and Antoine, entered and sat next to Tails and Amy. The council was standing to the left of the King who was standing behind a rostrum waiting for everyone to arrive. To his right was Sonic's Uncle Chuck while Nicole was a bit off from the center stage but standing and ready nonetheless.

"I'm glad you all could be called on such short notice." He called out firmly. "Now. Let me begin by explaining what myself and Sir Charles has been researching over the past few days and what we have found. It all began with the fluctuations in a reactor facility in the Mountain Faction. Precisely Reactor #35. Princess Sally Acorn was sent in charge of the field mission on Day 202 of Year 3243 and amongst her team was Miles "Tails" Prower and Prince Sonic. It was opted to have Commander Antoine D'Coolette accompany them as the designated pilot of the Freedom Fighter Special Mark II but he was busy with previous arrangements set forth by myself and–"

The king was cut off and interrupted by Uncle Chuck elbowing him in the side and subtly stating his name. "King Elias…sir…" Once the king stopped to hear him out he continued. "We can skip all the official jargon. If we give the entire official report in this 'brief,' we might be here all night."

The king froze if only for a moment in thought then complied. "Very well. It was first thought that the reactor mastercoding was tampered with but it was diagnosed that it was a simple error. Immediately once corrected by Tails, a transmission was sent to shut down the fuel line to the facility. Why this was to take place, or how even, has yet to be determined. But along with that there was an 'official' authorized signal sent to an abandoned facility in Mercia. Now let me state," he quickly turned to Sir Charles with a hint of a grin, "and this one is for the record," then turned back to his audience, "this 'official' signal was not authorized by the Kingdom of Acorn and the authorization was falsified. As everyone knows and as approved by the council, we sought aid from The Chaotix since Angel Island was flying over Mercia at the time. They complied and investigated said abandoned facility. Their official report and what I am about to reveal remains classified. So I trust everyone in this room that what I am about to tell you does not leave this room and are only for the ears of the people present. Do you understand?"

"I do." The room responded simultaneously and routinely as they have done only in cases years before.

"Splendid." The chair continued. "What they recovered was two things. A chilling video recording of an ancient overlander named Dr. Niven that, according to the video, was recording around the time of the Xorda attack on Mobius in the Earth years over 10,000 years ago."

This statement caused some debate amongst the audience especially the council who almost immediately discredited the validity of the statement. "Order!" The Sir Charles called out to silence the room.

"Thank you Chuck." He continued. "I understand how this sounds – to have a working video recording from so long ago but it was in poor condition when recovered by The Chaotix. After certain research, Sir Charles and I have concluded that the recording must have been preserved in the base that was found six years ago by Shadow and investigated by the Freedom Fighters. This base was sealed and underground for millennia and protected by the mechanoid Isaac. We believe this recording was recovered from that facility and was used at the abandoned station in Mercia for study seeing as approximately 45 minutes of the recording has been cropped out and is currently missing. The words stated by Dr. Niven before the video was cropped led us to believe he explained something about the research they were doing when they dissected the Xorda. We also feel that whoever was behind the mishap at the reactor in the Mountain Faction, and the connection with the station in Mercia must have been using this abandoned facility for some time to conduct his 'research.' This was concluded by the fact that the station was rigged to collapse on a trigger that was unknowingly set off by The Chaotix, most likely in hopes to bury whoever was on his trail and to destroy any more evidence that may cause a lead. Thankfully, Espio's keen eye was able to find something that we believe may give us something." At the King's praise of the chameleon, Nicole let out a subtle smile. Elias continued. "A full schematic report of a place titled Security Outpost 057. Now this report was edited as well as many of the words were blotted out but we have been able to decipher what was covered up and have determined its location."

"If I may interrupt sir," Hamlin of the council spoke out. "This seems more like a history project by whomever is behind this. Is this really a cause for such thorough investigative work?"

"If you must ask councilor, falsifying an official authorization code is a tremendous criminal act and must be looked into to begin with. Secondly, we thought the same thing until I received this anonymous letter." The king fumbled around one of his coat pockets and pulled out the same letter he and Sir Charles were looking over the night before and began to read it to the room.

'_I have placed it upon myself to inform King Elias Acorn that nearly 12,000 years ago the Xorda attacked Planet Earth with gene altering biological weapons which in turn nearly irradiated the human race, and brought up the current race of Mobians and Overlanders. Though this information may already be known, I wish to notify that further research will be conducted._'

"This is why the 'research' that is going on worries us. This letter is nonthreatening but the means in which it was retrieved and the general tone indicates that we should not let this go by unattended."

"Where is this Security Outpost 057 and is this why you wished for the retired Freedom Fighters to be present? To look into this location for a possible lead?" Bennett the Raccoon, the council member that replaced Dylan two years back, asked formally.

"Yes. I am sending Tails, Sonic, Antoine, Bunnie, and Amy on a mission to Security Outpost 057 located in the Mobian Desert, close to the underground base where Isaac was found, with Sally as the field lead." At this statement, Sonic and Tails gave each other a high five, obviously excited for another mission.

"What will be the details of our mission?" Sally asked, keeping her professionalism when need be.

"To find out who was behind the tampering of Reactor #35 and the situation involving the abandoned station in Mercia, and any other relevant data pertaining to the 'research' being done." He said firmly. "Each one of you will receive a packet that goes further in detail about specific objectives and more information about the facility and the 'game plan' if you will. The council will also receive a packet describing what all will be done. I suspect you all get onto studying and get some rest. I am having the Mark II prepped for takeoff at exactly 0600 tomorrow morning. You are dismissed."

At these words, everyone got up and moved around, began to leave the room, conversed and questioned each other. "Sally!" The king called out to his sister, grabbing her attention just as her and her team left the room. She walked over to him. "Since there was not enough intel to really give you an idea what you are looking for, who you are after, or what you're up against, the mission objectives are vague for a reason. Use it to do what you feel needs to be done and to retrieve what you feel needs to be retrieved." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "You will know what you have to do."

Sally let out a warm smile. "Thanks Elias."

Elias returned the smile and pulled her in for a quick hug then returned to their previous stance, hands still on her shoulders. "I will see you dark and early tomorrow morning." He gave her a gently pat.

Walking up to the scene was Queen Megan and Elias' step-daughter Alexis. "Daddy!" She shouted out as she dashed over to him.

The king turned just in time to react to the youngster's assault. "Hey!" He said as he bent down to her level, grabbed her and picked her up onto his shoulder. "How's my little girl?" He said and the royal family turned back in the other direction to head back to their quarters.

Sally smiled at the sight. "Sal, you coming?" Sonic asked her.

"Yeah," she turned to him. "I'm coming." And they headed toward the castle entrance with the rest of the group.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: A bit shorter than others. I was thinking of adding another part to this chapter but I'm saving it for the beginning of the next chapter. Things are about to pick up in the story as you probably could tell but it's still only the beginning. And I mean the beginning o_O

If you felt that I kind of was repetitive with what Elias was saying to the group in the end - seeing as it was pretty much covered in the beginning of the chapter, well just deal with it. And besides, I revealed a bit more too.

I'm hoping to whip out a few chapters pretty quickly over the next few weeks as I literally have nothing to do in that time but expect during the main summer months little to no updates. (Somehow) I picked up an internship with NASA so that might keep me a little busy. Just maybe.

Enjoy and please review, I need the suggestions. I have not forgotten about the few I've gotten but I need to get better and the only way to do so is by pointing out my mistakes, or telling me what you want to see.


	7. What Lies Beneath

Still a Need for Heroes

Chapter 7: What Lies Beneath

"Where did I put those blasted…" Bunnie D'Coolette said as she frantically searched her and Antoine's room. A closet door opened up which didn't yield a moment's hesitation from her flinging its contents behind her.

"Ma Cherie, we best be, as you say, scadling." Antoine said as he popped up behind her, dodging certain articles of clothing that was mindlessly being tossed about.

"It's skedaddling. And uh know! But I need my gear! Help me look for them!" She ordered, finishing scavenging the closet and turned to the dresser, doing the same thing regarding its contents as she did for the contents of the closet.

"We are cutting zit close." The coyote reminded. "You have dealt without them before."

"Ah know! But I feel this is big. What if I need them!" She said almost hysterical at this point.

"Amour." He said calmly.

"What!" She snapped back, stopping her search and turned to her husband. She froze seeing him with a taunting grin and holding up a pair of mechanical boots and gloves in his hands.

"Under ze bed maybe?"

She crashed into him. "Thank you sug." And gave him a kiss. "Now let's get going."

*o*

_Brrrring brrrring_…. _Brrrring brrrring_…. _Brrrring brrrring_….

"Mina, can you answer that!" Amy yelled as she was in her bathroom getting ready but there was no response from her temporary housemate. It was still very early but from her moving around that morning, Amy discovered the mongoose was wide awake, watching early morning soap operas to pass the time. "Mina!" She shouted again but got nothing. She finished up with what she was doing and went down stairs where she saw Mina sitting on the couch, staring at the ringing phone.

"It's Ash again." She said solemnly.

Amy's face dropped a little in pity. He's been calling constantly for the past week trying to get in touch with Mina, probably to reconcile. She slowly moved over to the couch and sat next to her. She picked up the phone then hung it back up to dismiss the annoying rings and placed her arms around Mina. "Listen. He wants to talk. I know you don't want to and I'm not saying you should…just yet. But eventually you are going to have to confront him. I'm going to be gone for a day, maybe two if it comes to it. Do you think you can handle it here by yourself?" She asked, now rubbing her back in comfort.

"Yeah." She simply stated.

"Come on, I need a little more convincing than that." She responded lightheartedly.

Mina turned to her and let out a confident smile. She took a deep breath and reassured the pink hedgehog. "I'll be fine."

Amy let that sink in for a bit. "Okay." She got up from the couch. "Have your band over, they always cheer you up. Maybe you could write some heavy song about getting revenge on Ash." She joked while giving Mina a wink. The mongoose giggled a little.

Amy was just about at the door, about to leave when Mina added one more comment. "I should have continued training to be a Freedom Fighter all those years back."

Amy froze. A short pause later, she came up with exactly what needed to be said, "You're exactly where you need to be Mina. You just don't know it yet." And left.

*o*

"Your insertion isn't expected to be hot so you can land near the suspected entry point to the outpost. Nicole can communicate with you only through the Mark II but we've installed a radio link with your COM sets with the one in the bird (slang for a jet, in this case the Mark II) so you can keep in contact with her if need be. She will remain in the city but can remotely activate the Mark II if necessary." Elias said to Sally in one last debrief. Sonic and Tails were in the background tossing a ball around; the lights from the airstrip was enough to illuminate their playing field in the early morning. It was actually a pretty comedic site to see Tails flying around while throwing the thing and Sonic waiting until the last second to dash over and catch it. Bunnie Antoine and Amy have yet to arrive at the Airstrip.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Sally answered as she began to turn toward the others but was abruptly stopped by her brother, gently pulling her back to where she was facing him again.

"Be careful sis. We don't know what to expect. The council assures that there is no harm but me and Sir Charles think otherwise." He said tenderly.

Sally smiled. "I'm sure we'll be fine. We have the whole team back together." She answered confidently.

"Alright." He said and let her go. She tentatively turned away from the king and met up with Sonic and Tails.

"Heads up!" Tails shouted as the ball accidently flew in Sally's direction. She quickly reacted, saw the projectile, and caught it flawlessly.

"Nice catch Sally-girl!" Bunnie proclaimed as her and Antoine came up to the scene.

"Thanks." She said, and tossed it lightly to Tails who glided over to her to retrieve the ball. "About time you got here. Now all we're waiting on is Amy."

"I'm here!" She shouted on cue as she too approached the group.

"Alright then. Everyone ready?" She called out. Sonic and Tails tossed the ball to a nearby crewmember as he was leaving back to his post.

"We're good." Sonic said. The group surrounded Sally in a circle like a sports team does with a coach.

"Alright. We all read the packet. Elias told me it was loose and vague for a reason so keep on your toes on anything that might look suspicious or that might look like it's got any worth."

"Are we to take effective action on anything?" Bunnie asked.

"Only if necessary. This is pretty much an expedited reconnaissance mission. We're to go in and find out what's going on. Got it?"

"Got it!" The entire entourage said simultaneously. They broke their small formation and began to board the Freedom Fighter Special Mark II.

Just like the last time, Nicole was there standing at the door greeting them. "All aboard?" She said pretty chipper. Everyone entered the vehicle and took their seats. They began strapping themselves in and prepping for takeoff. Bunnie was fixing up her mechanical gloves and boots that Rotor built for her a while back. When Ixis Naugis deroboticized her completely, she felt a little vulnerable without her powers. So at her request, Rotor constructed a pair of boots and gloves that would nearly recreate her past abilities. The only hamper on these is that their energy is limited to a set amount instead of taking from her life energy as they did when she was partially roboticized. But they have not failed her yet and she was very glad to have them on this mission; thankful that Antoine found them earlier. She slipped into the boots and gloves and they clamped onto her appendages to a snug fit. She moved around her fingers and feet to test mobility and everything checked out. It was as if they were her actual limbs. Antoine, who was piloting the aircraft, watched in one of the many mirrors as she did so and enjoyed the smile that came across her face then continued to strap herself into the seat. Being the last one to do so, Nicole ignited the engines nearly immediately after she finished.

"Good luck everyone and I'll keep in touch." The automated lynx said as she disappeared in a green cloud of data as the door to the aircraft closed. The ship shook and rocked as it conducted its vertical takeoff.

"All systems check. Ready for forward ignition." He stated as Sally, sitting in the co-pilot seat flipped a few switches.

"Good to go." She said and right as she did, the jet blasted forward and took off into the still dark morning.

The flight was not as long as the one to the Mountain Faction but it was long enough for some of the passengers to start twiddling their thumbs. Many of them in fact even took quick naps due to the early wake up for the mission. But nonetheless, they began their approach at their appointed destination soon enough.

"Over there. Land her over there. That's about where the coordinates Uncle Chuck designated are." Sally ordered as she pointed Antoine in the right direction. He flicked the joystick to the left to adjust to the set location and shortly found himself hovering the aircraft over their landing spot. He gradually let the thing down, opened up the landing gear, and touched down flawlessly.

"We have arrived at ze destination. Please be cautious when retrieving overhead storage as luggage may 'ave shift during landing." The pilot stated nonchalantly, yet humorously at the same time.

"Alright everyone." Sally unbuckled, stood up and announced. "It's show time."

The door creaked open and the team left the ship one by one with all their necessary gear. Amy had her Piko Hammer, Bunnie already put on her gear and Tails had a small pack that contained whatever he felt should be included on the mission. The morning sun was reflecting from the golden sand and clay rock which created a certain desert glow all the while the wind was blowing wildly and sand was being tossed in their faces. They looked around and found a near wasteland. They landed right by some mesas but sadly they were not blocking the wind as the wind was coming from the other direction.

"Could have picked a better spot." Sonic said, shielding his eyes from the natural sand blaster. Tails took his own measures and placed the goggles that were resting on his head over his eyes and pulled the handkerchief up from around his neck and over his mouth.

"Radio check. Come in Nicole." Sally called into her compact wrist communicator.

"I hear ya Sal. Good to hear you made a safe journey." The other end of the communicator responded.

"Thanks. We need you to take a scan of the area and determine our entry point." She ordered as she looked around. There was nothing but dunes and rocks for as far as she could see. She wondered how could there possibly be any outpost in the area. At her request, the Mark II's bow made a funny buzzing noise and a horizontal green laser emitted from the point. It moved up then back down where it shortly blipped out.

"Sending retrieved data now." Nicole stated. A few short moments later Sally's wrist communicator displayed a holographic depiction of the area except instead of the natural gold and red the hologram was composed of green and black squares to show terrain. A few meters away, a small blinking box was displayed on the hologram. "That indicates your entrance."

"Nicole, there's nothing there." She questioned with a raised eye brow.

"That location matches up with Sir Charles' coordinates as well as the nearest point to an underground complex. It looks like you might have to dig a little." The lynx stated casually. "Sorry." She added.

"Alright guys, you heard the lady." Sally called out to her team as she took the initiative to walk over to the designated location, battling the rough winds and sand all the same.

They stopped a few feet before the spot Nicole pointed out and waiting most likely in unwilling compliance as no one wanted to dig. But in those short moments of waiting, the ground began to shake.

"What is that?" Amy asked rhetorically, questioning the curious quake.

Before the group's feet, almost a whirlpool of sand formed. They all stepped back and watched the sight. It expanded to a point where the epicenter revealed a small metal hatch and once this hatch was revealed, the whirlpool stopped.

Everyone stood in shock at the sight they just witnessed and stared down at the hatch. "You first." Sonic said and gently pushed Tails forward but the fox's feet remained planted.

"Indications from the Mark II show that everything is nominal and it should be safe to move toward the hatch. Once you go in though, I will lose visual. The cameras on the Mark II can only do so much." Nicole called out from the communicator.

"Alright then. Let's move." Sally said, again taking charge. She hesitantly moved forward and once nothing happened, everyone followed. They made it to the hatch and worked it open. Sonic went down first, then Bunnie and Antoine, Tails, after removing his goggles and handkerchief from his face, and Amy were next, then Sally followed.

The first room was just as eerie as could be. It was dark, cold, and small and the only thing in it was a door leading to the next room. They stood close and slowly opened the door. The next room was a large one, almost like a warehouse. It too was dark and seemingly shut down. They were on the second floor on some rafters above the main level. They turned on their hand lights and leaned over the railing, looking down to see dozens of motionless robots. "It looks like an army of Eggman's E-Series." Sonic stated, recognizing the familiar looking mechanoids.

"Tiz a bit spooky." Antoine stated but without any sound of fear in his voice; a general observation.

"I'll say." Tails stated in agreement.

"It'd be more spooky if those robots were active. We're alone here so let's scope it out – find out what we need to find out." Sally said taking charge again as she began heading toward the east end of the complex.

"Wouldn't mind smashing some of these bots." Sonic said as he moved to follow the field lead.

"I hear ya there suga'hog." Bunnie added as she too moved on.

Sally came up to a stairwell and stopped, waiting for the rest of her party to join her. Once they did, she broke out her plan. "Alright. It seems like there is just two levels to this place so we'll split up. Sonic Tails and I will take the upper level while Bunnie Antoine and Amy will take the lower level. Let's do a quick radio check." She then proceeded to call through her radio and listened for everyone to respond through their own to make sure they still worked underground. "Alright good. If you find anything or think you see anything that might be important, signal me." The group nodded in agreement and went their separate ways for the time being.

Sonic Sally and Tails looked down the long narrow lanes of the hanging pathways that crisscrossed the air above the lower level. On the other end of the vast room, three doors were seen just by the flicker of their lights as they flashed them. They steadily walked toward the doors in hopes of making their investigation worth something. The creaking of the metal rafter like walkways they traversed on opened only a second thought in their mind; they knew the place was old but they felt like their feet were on some pretty sound structures.

It was a bit of a curiosity that this, just like the station The Chaotix investigated in Mercia, was abandoned. This one, like the other complex, was probably an old Robotnik facility used during the First Robotnik War. The unusual stationary robots just added to that idea. The fact that it was abandoned and that its entrance was so strangely mechanized to remain hidden until walked up to was just more and more influence on the idea that someone was using these places as hideouts. Hopefully they were hot on the trail and could pick up on something.

They made it to the other side of the room and decided to check the rooms one by one so they wouldn't break off any more than they already were. They all got behind the first door of what looked like three administrative offices of the warehouse that was just on the floor below them. They got ready as Sally turned the door knob and opened up the door.

It creaked open slowly and they found themselves in a vacant room; nothing but old computer monitors that lined the far wall like a mural. There was a large screen that hung over the rest of the monitors but like the rest of the facility they all remained powerless. "Tails, do you think you can get into any of these computers?"

"We'll see." He threw his small pack off his back and onto the ground. He opened it up and started scavenging through it. He pulled out a small power pack and some wires, moved over one of the computers and went to work.

…

"This place sure is creepy." Amy said as she clenched her Piko Hammer nervously while they moved around the lower level of the complex. They passed by all the motionless E-Series lookalikes with peculiar suspicion. The base level of the warehouse like area seemed more like a factory. The statues were frozen near tables and still belts almost like assembly lines on what, not a one of them had an idea.

"Good thing you have your gear." Antoine stated as he, like the others scouted out the area taking in the scene.

"Yeah." She responded, swiveling her head around looking for anything that might jump out. "Ah just hope I don't have to use 'em." However, she kept her left arm pointed out ready to use her 'gear' if need be.

They moved through to the next room and found it was pretty much a mirror to the one they were in. It too was to a larger warehouse looking area but instead of inactive E-Series crowding the area, there were plenty of crates and boxes. They maneuvered around them cautiously just as they did with the mechanoids in the other room. It was much darker than this room seeing as it didn't have any light shining from any entrance nearby so they practically were relying completely on their hand lights.

Amy came up to one of the crates and leaned in toward it to read the label. "Hmm." She focused as she read the blocked print. "Dangerous Substances. Handle with Caution." She stepped back for a moment. "That can't be good. Maybe this is what Sally was talking about when she said anything 'suspicious.'"

"Good job Amy!" Bunnie moved over to the crate she was staring at. She placed her hands on the top portion and began to pry. Her gloves made some small clicks as they performed at incredible strengths. The lid began to snap as one could hear the nails being plucked from their holds and soon enough, the top broke off and flung to the floor making a loud bang. "Whoops." She said, not intending to make such a ruckus in case they weren't alone.

They peered into the mysterious crate to see two spherical metal balls, slightly bigger than basketballs. They had a couple of holes manufactured into them and like a band around its equator was a blue lining.

"What ze 'ell is it?" Antoine spoke what was on all their minds.

"I don't know but I guess we should take some pictures to send back home." Bunnie added as she clicked a button on her hand light and aimed it at the crate. Suddenly a click was heard and the picture was taken. "Handy little things aren't they?" She said taking note at the capabilities of the device. "Let's keep moving."

They moved to the north end of the large room where they found some rooms with large see-thru windows. Antoine stuck his face up to one of the windows and cupped his hands around his eyes to try and get a look inside. The room was pretty cleared out with the exception of a rotted tipped over chair, damaged desk and notable wallpaper that either already peeled from the wall and fell to the floor or was still barely clinging on. "Nothing." He declared and moved back from the window and moved on with the rest of his group.

"Well Sally said we need to be looking for stuff – clues, anything. So let's get started with this room here." Bunnie said as she stopped in front of a door that led to the room next to the one Antoine just looked into.

They opened the door and found nothing. It looked similar to the room Antoine peeked into but they still decided to snoop around. Amy walked over to one of the desks and picked up a dusty clipboard. She blew the dust off it and read the engraving made on the bottom. 'Security Outpost 057 – Weapons Manufacturing Sector.' She placed it back down and moved to the next item to look over.

Bunnie moved over to a computer monitor with adjoining keyboard. She hit a few keys just as anyone would do but nothing happened. She pulled it back from the wall a bit and saw the wires had been chewed through probably by some smaller animal. She too moved onto her next item of inspection.

Antoine, not taking note of anything in particular in the room, stood in the middle and looked around, studying. He stared at the ceiling for a particularly long amount of time and noticed a strange marking on one of the tiles. He moved over to grab the chair but after a quick test of its stability he found that might not be the best thing to stand on. So he moved over to the desk Amy was glancing over. "Mademoiselle, mind to help me?" He asked and grabbed one end of the desk. Amy grabbed the other and they moved it over to the center of the room. Antoine got on the desk and moved away the tile with the strange mark. Once out of the way, his shorter stature forced him to stand on his toes to get a good view of what was up there. He pointed his light up and found a red metal switch. He grabbed onto it and pulled it down.

At that instant, the back wall shook for a moment and began smoothly moving up, leading to an long dark hallway. They group stood in slight awe as they stared down the vacant passage, not being able to see more than a few feet past the entryway without the aid of their lights, it was so dark.

"This just got a little bit more weird…" Amy quirkily stated.

…

"And almoooosst… Got it!" Tails said as suddenly the computer he was working on blipped for a second and powered up. A black screen popped up and code started spanning down it. Tails typed frantically as he worked his way around its firewall. "I'm in." He stated firmly.

"Anything interesting?" Sally questioned.

"It says this facility is part of a huge complex. Like this thing is massive. It says we're in the Weapons Manufacturing Sector."

"Well that's not good." Sonic blatantly stated.

"Only partially. We know what this place is, or was, used for." Sally explained.

"That's not the only thing." Tails continued. He typed a bit more into the computer and a 3D diagram of the facility appeared on the screen. Two large rooms were obviously visible, both similar in size. "We're right here." He said pointed to a blinking dot in the corner of one of the large rooms. "There seems to be hallways here and here that lead to other branches of the facility along with side rooms. But you see these three hallways?" He asked while pointing to three long pathways that were denoted by a different color than the rest of the map. "Though they're displayed on the diagram, it says they don't exist. So they either have been closed off or are hidden passageways. Guess the others have already found one of them." He then pointed to another dot on the screen, denoting the other trio's location, that remained stationary in front of one of the hidden hallways he denoted earlier. "Hold up." He ordered, causing everyone to stop in their tracks.

"What is it?" Sonic placed his inquiry.

"There's something else. I'm picking up readings of another life form in another hidden room below the far end of the hallway that Bunnie Antoine and Amy are looking down."

"Then I guess that's where we need to go than." Sally suggested.

"Uh oh."

"That's never a good thing." Sonic added.

"Another party is approaching the other guys as we speak. They're going to run into them any second now!" Tails called out.

"Let's hope they can handle it until we get there, come on!" Sally moved toward the door. Tails unplugged his rig on the computer but something else happened. The computer began flashing a message, 'Compromised system. Control room lock down.' The computer started to dim as it used the last bit of energy from Tails power supply to display the message and to initiate the lock down. Sally got to the door and tried to open it but couldn't. "What the–" She tried it again, yanking and shoving on the door but it didn't budge. The computer was powered down at this time but the door hatch was sealed shut. It might have taken just a little power to seal the door but to keep it sealed needed nothing.

"We've got to stop messing with computers in places like this." Sonic joked, recalling the similar incident with The Chaotix.

"Ugh!" Sally continued to try and push open the door to no avail. She huffed from the short workout before calling their situation. "We're trapped."

…

Bunnie Antoine and Amy were staring blankly down the long dark corridor. Their lights just emulated a small lantern in a large cave for they could not see far down the hall. "Long dark secret passageway with no visible end in sight. This would be ze place for our suspect, non?" Antoine lightly observed.

"Bunnie, Antoine, Amy, do you read me?" Sally buzzed over their radio.

Bunnie reached into a pocket from her vest and pulled out the radio. "Loud and clear sug."

"There is someone approaching you from the other end of the hallway. Be advised!" She stated frantically.

"I hear ya." Bunnie responded confidently. "Bunnie, out." She put away the radio and turned off her light. Amy and Antoine did the same and the three got on the edge of the door so they could have some cover from the wall just in case. They waited for a few moments in motionless silence. Suddenly, two faint red lights appeared in the distance. The team waited in anxiety as they grew brighter as they approached them. Antoine looked over to Amy and Bunnie on the other side of the doorway and showed three fingers to begin a countdown. On his mark, they all jumped out. Bunnie had her left arm pointed forward as the glove on that hand morphed into a cannon looking gun. She rested her right hand on her left wrist, ready to fire. Amy had her hammer drawn back ready for a quick swing and Antoine placed his hand on his saber, prepared for a quick draw from its sheath at a moment's notice.

"Freeze!" They called out. They heard a few clicks of a gun from the other side and waited for the inevitable standoff that was about to take place.

"Hold fire, team! Don't shoot!" A voice called out. Into the little bit of visible light that was present without the team's hand lights, Shadow ironically stepped out of the darkness. "Amy Rose." He recognized the bright pink before the darker shades of Bunnie and Antoine and stated plainly as he pulled a pair of night vision goggles from over his eyes. Just after him, Rouge appeared and did the same. The two red lights soon revealed that they were Omega's eyes. Being a robot, he didn't need night vision goggles as they were already built into his hardware.

"Team Dark?" Amy responded as she flicked on her light, unwillingly blinding Team Dark and ruining their dim light adjusted eyesight. "What are you guys doing here?" She asked as the two Mobians of the trio held their hands over their face to block out the new light.

"We should be asking the same thing to you." Rouge stated a bit aggravated. "Normally I like company but _coincidentally_ seeing you here raises an alarm in my head."

"Ah'd say the same for the likes of you three." Bunnie retorted.

"Hmm." The bat grunted. "Well if you must know, we're looking for something."

"Zer is a whole room full of weapons and your little buddy's lifeless pals in the rooms back there." Antoine said a bit spitefully.

"Although a weapons cache would normally interest us, that is not what we're looking for." Shadow explained.

"Then what is it you are looking for?" Amy asked.

"Requested data is classified." The big robot in the room blurted out in a monotone computerized voice.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Rouge commented.

"Tell me, why are you here and for how long? How much of this complex have you explored?" The dark hedgehog queried.

"Maybe that's classified as well." Amy responded smartly.

"Don't toy with me." He said almost threatening.

"We've just arrived here. We've been here for no more than an hour and haven't done anything but look around." Bunnie explained.

"I can't see you all as the tourist type. Especially in a place like this." Shadow scoffed them off.

"Bunnie, come in. Did you engage the bogey's?" Sally asked at an inconvenient time.

"Ah, so it's a mission you're on." Rouge jeered with a smirk and grin.

Bunnie casually pulled out the radio and placed it up to her muzzle. "Bogeys have been identified as Team Dark of G.U.N."

"What are they doing here?" She asked.

"Trying to figure that out ma'am." The rabbit responded again pretty casually and placed the radio back in her pocket. "You said you're looking for something? Well maybe you could tell us what it is and we could help you find it." She bargained.

"And what would you get out of it?"

"Information. We are on official business by ze Kingdom of Acorn. One of our facilities has been compromised and we traced the suspected culprit here. Maybe you know of zis person?" Antoine began to feel some treachery with the other group. "Seeing you here makes me wonder if it's not one of you."

"Don't insult us handsome." Rouge tacked on. "We're allies remember?"

"We told you, we are searching for something. The means of what it is or why we are looking for it remain undisclosed. Now let us go about our business and we'll let you go about yours. Hmm?" Shadow offered after a short explanation.

The two teams of three stood their seemingly at a deadlock. Finally, Bunnie took charge and stepped aside. "Good girl." Rouge said disdainfully causing a sneer to arise from the rabbit's mouth.

In Team Dark's passing, another secret doorway flung open right next to the whole group. Everyone froze in perplexity as it happened randomly. Both teams moved cautiously to head down it but as they approached it closed suddenly. "What gives?" Amy proclaimed.

Shadow looked down at where they were standing last and found a slightly elevated floor tile. He stepped down on it and it pressed down and again the secret door flung open. "It's a pressure switch. Someone is going to have to stay to keep the switch pressed down." Shadow explained.

Antoine rolled his eyes and walk back the way they came into the room full of crates. "Why you think so simply?" He asked rhetorically and began to push a crate over to the spot. He moved it over the switch and the door remained open. He dusted off his hands and kept his nose high while he Bunnie and Amy moved through the secret passage, having their hand lights lead the way.

Shadow Rouge and Omega quickly looked at each other. "I could have thought of that." Rouge stated as she brushed off the event and they too moved down the hallway.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>:

I told you updates would be quick. I think two days is a record! But don't let that fool you, I thought about this chapter a lot and even rearranged so much in order for it to work. There are some things I still wish I did differently but for what I have planned for the rest of the investigation of Security Outpost 057, I couldn't do it any other way.

As usual, REVIEW! and Enjoy!


	8. Critical Condition

Brace yourselves. It's a long one. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 8: Critical Condition

"Tails, can you get access back into that computer and open this door?" Sally questioned as her, Tails and Sonic remained sealed in the control room. Tails was one step ahead of her and was already trying.

"It looks like there was a defense program installed. It already knows I got access before and is blocking me out. I can bypass it but it'll take a while." He shrugged without even looking away from the computer. He knew Sally's call before she said it and continued to work his way into the system.

"Get on it. We've got to get out of here eventually." She ordered.

"I could probably just spin dash through the thing." Sonic suggested smartly and casually, throwing his thumb in the direction of the door.

"I wouldn't suggest it." Tails added quickly. The other two in the party looked over at him waiting for his next response. "It says here in the defense protocol, once the door has been sealed it is rigged to a trip mine until the security program allows the door to be opened again. I don't know if the bomb is still functional but I wouldn't risk it." He said, still typing away on the computer.

"So we'll just have to wait."

"Gah!" Sonic exasperated in a shout. The other two looked over at him with great alarm about the sudden shout as anything could be going on in the dark that was not illuminated by their lights. "I HATE waiting." The hedgehog finished his statement exemplifying the fact that he likes to move fast which turned Sally and Tails' worried concern into irritation as they continued trying to break through the system.

…

"I can't believe a place like this would have so many hidden passageways. It's not like this is some weird medieval dungeon or something." Amy questioned as the two adjoined teams moved further down the newly discovered hallway.

"They were added later. This complex was one of numerous facilities but in time, the desert took its toll and swallowed the whole area. I suspect whoever you're looking for is the one responsible for creating all the passageways and connecting all the now underground buildings. Making this his 'hideout' or something." Shadow explained as he remained just as ominous as ever with his intel.

"Seems you know a lot but are only willing to say so much." Bunnie observed curiously.

"We told you all you need to know. We're looking for something. We've been investigating our current case for a while now and our reconnaissance has been generous in the area of information." Rouge restated again, hoping they would stop asking by now.

"But one does not realize, now we and soon ze Kingdom will know ze United Federation is medaling about." Antoine whispered to Bunnie, causing a small smile come across her face as she realized at this point it might be best to just observe and ask questions later.

"Scannings show the hallway ends in 30 meters." Omega blurted out.

"Where does it lead?" Rouge asked.

"Security Outpost 057 Residential Sector." The robot said without hesitation.

"Good. We're getting close." Shadow assured his team. Antoine Bunnie and Amy just looked at each other oddly, picking up on the statement.

The group of six left the hidden hallway they had uncovered and entered another building with structural style similar to the previous ones but instead of crates or powerless robot crowding the space, this time it was an assortment of bunks. They clearly were not recently used as the mattresses were either eaten by rodents and decaying or moldy, or both. They group of six looked around as they did every time they entered a new room. Shadow and Rouge still wore their night vision goggles on their heads seeing as they wouldn't be of any use while the other three were still using their hand lights.

They walked together until they were about in the center of the room. "Not that your company wasn't enthralling, not that it was either, but we don't tend to work with others and don't suspect to start now." Shadow said as he tossed down his goggles over his eyes. He flipped a small switch on the side of them and in the lenses glowed with a faint green hue. Rouge did that same and they, with Omega following, went off in a different direction than Antoine Bunnie and Amy.

"Aussi et vous." Antoine spat back indifferent, returning Team Dark's impolite salutation and not really caring that they departed. They moved around the stacked bunks as they tried to get to the other side of the room where hopefully more rooms would be present to be investigated. One large room with nothing but rotting beds usually was not a place someone would be hiding.

"Does anyone else find it a bit strange that we tracked… whoever we're looking for, to this location and G.U.N.'s reconnaissance also brought Team Dark here?" Amy questioned once they were out of earshot of the other team.

"Something's up. That's for sure." Bunnie responded, giving her acknowledgement to Amy's observation.

"What if the thing they're looking for isn't necessarily a 'thing' but a person? The same one we're looking for?" The pink hedgehog continued as she began playing the investigator.

"Bunnie, Antoine, Amy. This is Sally, come in. Over." Sally again called over the radio.

"We hear ya loud and clear sug." Bunnie responded as she grappled the device, still being the one who housed the radio in a vest pocket of hers.

"Sorry for the quick warning last time with no explanation but it was imperative at the moment." The field commander quickly gave her disclaimer.

"It's alright. Ah've learned sometimes it's best to ask questions later." The hare quickly confirmed before Sally could get on to the main reason for her COM tap at the moment.

"We've been able to access a minor data log and a digital map of the complex with bio readings. We waited until you were alone to continue speaking, that is assuming that was Team Dark that departed a few moments ago."

"Correct. 'Looking for something' they said they were doing." She answered.

"I see. Well this place is a lot bigger than we thought and as I figure you know, there's a lot of unmapped passageways. I think the best way to anything important would be through some of those. We can guide you around to some of them if need be." The field lead explained.

Antoine swiveled around thinking he heard something, a faint cry almost. He shined his light around in search of the source but did not succeed. He brushed it off as one of the many eerie sounds of the abandoned underground fortress. "Zat would be splendid mon ami. It's hard to see ze hidden things when one can't hardly see at all."

"Well if you keep heading in the direction you were initially moving, there is another room, not a secret one, but from there, there are a few hallways leading to another area of the complex."

"Aye aye cap-e-ton." Antoine half-jokingly threw in there, ready to keep moving.

"Bunnie, out." She said and placed the radio back in her pocket.

…

"I have a bad feeling about this." Sally added as she remained hovering over the crouched Tails while he did his work on the computer. Sonic was getting quite annoyed judging by the continuous tapping of his foot which brought its own annoyance to the princess but over the years she learned to brush it off and ignore it. She stepped back from the computer to continue her statement. "Why would Team Dark be here and what could they be looking for?" She asked, throwing her thoughts into audible words as she stood with a crossed arm and a hand on rubbing her chin.

"What I'm wondering is how we got to be the lucky ones playing the waiting game. Any way you can speed it up Tails?" Sonic blurted out, letting his annoyance get to him.

Tails stood up as he turned his head over his shoulder to respond to him. "I'd like to see you try this." He said coolly. Sonic looked up at him seeing as he was now taller than the hedgehog, a feeling he still wasn't used to, and shrugged. The fox turned back to look at the monitor, his two tails fluttered up and down alternatively while he worked but when they stopped, it was a sign that something wasn't quite right. "Damn." His tails began waving up and down again meaning it was not too serious.

"What is it?"

"The power supply is running low. I can't keep this computer running for much longer. Once it goes down, we lose our eyes on this place." He said, referring to the map and what little data he was still scanning through.

"Bunnie, this is Sally. Come in, over." She called over the radio again.

"Dis is Antoine. Bunnie's doing some as you say heavy lifting." The coyote responded.

"The miniature power supply we brought is running low. We're going to lose the map to the place in a short while so from there you might be on your own. I hope you remember your way back because–"

"Hold on." Tails' statement broke her conversation as she lingered for his next words. He sent the cursor over the map, zoomed out a bit and moved in to a small, barely visible red dot in the corner of a room not too far off from the other team's position. But as soon as he moved over to it, the computer blipped off as the power supply suddenly died. "Shit."

"What is it Tails?"

"Power supply's dead." He quickly explained.

"What about before that?"

"It might have just been the lack of energy from the supply but… I think I saw something."

"Like what?" She questioned, still waiting to relay any possible information to the other team.

"It looked like a bio reading but it was incredibly faint."

"Good enough for me." She pulled the radio back up to her mouth.

…

"We just lost our eyes but Tails thinks he saw someone before the screen when black. Feverishly scout out your immediate area. It may be nothing but I want a thorough search in case we do find something. We'll do our best to get out of this room and meet up with you. Sally, out."

Bunnie walked up to Antoine as she finished moving a collapsed beam from the entrance to another room and he gave her the radio. "Zere may be someone hiding in ze area. We need to search all ze rooms." He commanded as they moved on.

"I hear ya hun."

"…_el..._" Antoine froze and spun his head around. Now he was sure he heard something but seeing the lack of reaction from the others no one else seemed to have. So he figured he'd ask.

"Did you 'ear that?" He looked up to where he thought he heard the disembodied voice but saw no hint of the source.

"Hear what?" Amy asked as she too began moving her head in all directions trying to search for something. But Antoine didn't say anything, hoping the noise would present itself again.

"You best not be going crazy on me suga'twan." Bunnie said with a raised brow and a curious expression.

"Let's keep moving." He said brushing it off. As they searched each passing room, finding nothing but broken office pieces or abandoned private sleeping quarters, they continued their way deeper into this part of the complex.

They made it a good distance down when something happened that put up all of their alarms. Everything turned on. As they stared down the current hallway they were present in, the lights turned on like a domino effect with a small bang with each flickering ignition. They began to hear noises in the distance; things moving and clanging. They turned off their lights and quickly put them away, making sure they would be prepared for anything. Again, Bunnie powered up her gloves, Amy squeezed the grip of her hammer and Antoine fingered the butt of his sword just as they did when they confronted Team Dark a little more than an hour before.

Bunnie kept one hand in front of her with a glowing energy ball forming in the palm ready to fire at anything, but reached for her radio with the other hand. "Sally, you getting this?"

…

"By this, you mean that the facility is not as 'abandoned' as we once thought?" She responded in perplexity as the room they were in sudden lighted up and became alive with all the computer monitors flashing their power screens and the electrical buzz that would have loudly out sounded Sonic's tapping foot if it even was still performing the motion.

"Exactly. What you getting from that little room you're so cozily camping in?" The rabbit called through the radio.

"Tails?" Sally redirected the attention to the fox that involuntarily jumped onto hacking another computer the instant the power turned on in the facility. He left the first computer alone as it did not turn on like the others – he hadn't plugged it back into the original system yet since unplugging it initially to hook it up to his power supply.

"Generators are located on the other end of the facility. The ignition was remote. I can't track it." He quickly explained.

"So someone is here." Sonic observed as he turned to the door. "Tails, is that bomb still rigged on this thing?" He questioned, anxious to get out into the action.

"Unfortunately yes. But this room is kind of like a sub-control of this part of the facility. Once I get in, I should be able to–" But his words were stopped as an ominous voice sounded throughout the speakers of the computers in the room.

"If I were you, I wouldn't even try." Everyone froze in sudden and unexpected fear at the god-like presence that suddenly filled the room with the speaking of the menacing voice. "I've seen your abilities Miles Prower and I would have to say, I am impressed. But I too have taken a fancy to technology and would have to say, you won't beat my system. I have a good idea what your next few moves may be."

"Who are you?" Sally called out.

"I? I, Princess, am only but a seeker of truth. This is my library and you have intruded it. I have to hand it to you however. I did not expect you to catch on so quickly. I would have never guessed you would find this place so soon. So I had to think quickly." At this statement, a few of the computer monitors changed pictures to show video surveillance of the rest of the 'intruders.' Team Dark was shown on one of the monitors as they stood in an enclosed room. Omega had his guns pointed at the door just in case something were to barge in on them while Rouge and Shadow conspired in cover. Bunnie, Antoine and Amy were shown cautiously moving forward out of view of one camera but just entering an adjoining one. Whoever this was, they saw their every move. Another surveillance video showed a squad of the frozen E-Series robots tramping down an unrecognized hallway. The generators must have turned them on as well.

Sally quickly moved for her radio to warn the other team but before she could hit the 'talk' button and blabber out any important information, a loud and high pitched squeal sounded along with some gargles and screeches. Sonic and Tails covered their ears as Sally winced from the ear biting noise.

"Ahh. You think I had not thought of that?" The voice let out a creepy chuckle. "I'm insulted. A radio jammer just for you my friends. Now, like I said, I did not expect you to pay me a visit. This was intended for your G.U.N. allies but nonetheless your friends will suffer just the same." He said implying that the army of robots were heading their way.

Sally clenched her fists, thinking of a way, any way at all, to figure something out. But leave it to Sonic to remain cool in situations like these. "So only they get to have the fun? What about us?" He jeered with a devious grin. "You don't plan on keeping us in here forever do ya?"

The voice let out a smug laugh. "I always wanted a pet. Maybe I could get you a wheel to keep you occupied. Wouldn't you like that? Just having the freedom of running forever?" Another small laugh. "But no. I know better. There is no way I would be able to contain you. So I figured I might as well just kill you."

"You know you seem to talk a lot. You're not related to Mogul are you?" He joked again, taunting whoever was trying to do them over.

Tails leaned back a bit and tugged on Sally's vest. She leaned in where he had a small message written down on a piece of paper. He concealed the note from the corners of the room where the cameras were located and made sure only she could see it. 'Can't disarm bomb, but can freeze detonation for .5 seconds.' Sally looked at him with uncertainty. She mouthed the words, 'half a second?' to confirm what Tails was trying to say. "This guy's good." He whispered to her.

"Although I would absolutely adore that creature's wealth of knowledge and wisdom I am afraid not." The voice answered Sonic a little more seriously than he was expecting. Sally moved over to Sonic and began whispering in his ear. "Scheming won't get you far I'm afraid. Your time is already limited. Since I ignited the generators, your room has been filling with Carbon Monoxide." Sally gave Tails another iffy look they knew the implications of what would happen now if that bomb went off. "You should begin to feel a bit loopy any second now, if you haven't already."

"Now!" Tails shouted and everything was set into motion.

0.7 Seconds until the door was hit causing the detonation of the bomb. Sonic grabbed Sally and Tails by wrapping an arm each around their midsections.

0.3 Seconds until contact. He curled into a ball getting ready for his spin dash move.

0.08 Seconds until contact. He launched himself at the door.

0.0 Seconds until contact. Sonic made contact with the door, initiating the 0.5 second delay.

–0.13 Seconds until detonation. The door was just now feeling the shock of Sonic's breakthrough as he busted through it.

–0.3 Seconds until detonation. Sonic made it entirely through the door, still clenching onto the two as the door shattered. The shrapnel grazed Sally and Tails as the small bits were bouncing off Sonic's spines.

–0.5 Seconds. The bomb went off. The blast with the added effect of the powder keg that was the gas filled room they escaped from a mere couple of seconds earlier was like a missile hitting the complex. Sonic lost grip of his two momentary hitchhikers as all three of them were thrown across the large warehouse room.

Sally slowly got up to her feet where she saw a number of gun mounted robotic arms pointing at her. Not all of the robots must have gone after Team Dark and the others, otherwise how would she explain the number of E-Series that were staring at her. As if she could hear the moment the robots pulled the trigger, she reacted and evaded. Instantly, she jumped up into a back flip, landing on her hands then succeeding to gracefully push herself into the air once more as she did another twirl to dodge the hail of gunfire. She landed into a roll where she found cover behind a cement wall. But that cover wouldn't last for long.

"Sally, sensors and camera on the Mark II registered an explosion. A big one. Are you alright?" Nicole called over to her.

Without reaction, she pulled the communicator to her mouth. "We're fine." She said firmly, before going into a mumble. "I think." Then her confidence returned. "We need you to get the Mark II ready for launch. As soon as we regroup with the others, we're high tailing it out of here." She shouted to overcome the loud gun fire that was taking place.

She looked around and saw some shattered reflective metal that must have flung behind the wall and picked it up. She got close to the edge of her cover, making sure not to even let an inch be seen, then cautiously stuck the mirror-like substance out to see what was going on other than a bunch of robots firing at her. What she saw was typical. Behind the robots that drew their attention to her, she could see others following a blue flash, trailing the speedster with bullets but never getting close enough to hitting him. And one by one, Sonic would take them out. One of the bullets that were hammering her cover ricocheted and hit the piece of metal she was holding, causing the substance's sharp edges to cut her hand as it flung from it. "Damn." She mumbled, clenching her palm to keep pressure on it.

"There's one behind ya buddy!" She could hear Sonic shout just before another bang and a crash. "Nice one Tails!" He shouted in praise.

Sally could feel the strength of her cover being tested as crumbling pieces of stone and cement were starting to fall on her side of the wall. It would be a matter of seconds before the bullets rip through the wall and pierce her with ease. "Sonic! A little help over here!" She shouted, knowing he would take care of her assaulters soon. She pulled out her radio, just now realizing that if Nicole was able to reach her, then she should be able to get in contact with Bunnie and the others as well.

"Bunnie! This is Sally! Come in, over!" She shouted.

…

Bunnie remained ducked behind a box with Antoine and occasionally would step up when the opposing enemy fire softened to shoot a few energy blasts from her gloves. She nailed three robots with four fired shots and ducked down again. "Ah told ya we'd need these little fellas." She said before jumping up again to fire some more rounds. Amy was hiding behind another crate a few feet in front of Bunnie and Antoine and on the off chance a robot would get close enough, she would lunge her hammer in their direction until they busted apart.

Bunnie heard some jumbled words come over the radio but couldn't make them out over all the gunfire. "Bad copy, say again!" She shouted.

"Bunnie, you have E-Series heading your way! We're engaging some right now but–" The radio stopped with the sound of crumbling rocks and loud bangs then jumped back on again. "–but I don't know how long we can hold them off. Regroup back at the Mark II ASAP!" She shouted.

"Thanks for the heads up sugah but yer a little late." She said as she again, stood up to take her shots at some more robots. They were lucky they were in a small hallway because with all the robots they were against, funneling them to reduce their numbers was what the three needed. "We'll get there as soon as we can!"

Antoine sat there, thinking. There wasn't much he could do at the moment. Swords were not a very good distance weapon and there was that old phrase he remembered – something about bringing a knife to a gun fight. He sat next to an air vent where again he started hearing a faint voice call out. "_Help!"_ It was clear as day now.

He turned to Bunnie as she came down again. "I'm going to run down my battery in no time if this keeps up! They keep coming like flies on back side of a rank mule!" She commented with a strange quirk.

"Bunnie, there's someone here!" The coyote shouted.

"Ah know! He's making himself known ain't he?" She called out and was about to stand up again but Antoine pulled her back down.

"Non, listen!" He gently pulled her head close to the vent where she too could hear the faint calls for help.

"Oh mah stars." She said a little disturbed. She quickly stood up, fired some energy blasts at more robots while trying to shout at Amy. "Amy! We need to–"

Suddenly, in the space between them and Amy, a wall blasted, flinging debris everywhere as Team Dark stormed through the door Omega just created. The large robot didn't stop but instead directed its fire to the E-Series that were down the hallway. Bunnie and Antoine were about to run up to them but the ceiling behind Amy and Team Dark began collapsing, closing off the pathway between them and the others.

"Damn it!" Bunnie shouted as she began to use her gloves to dig through some of the rubble.

"Mon amour, zey will be fine." Antoine stated as she stopped her digging to hear him explain. Even from behind the wall of collapsed debris and materials the gunfire was still pretty prominent. "Amy is with Team Dark. They can make it out. We have to help whozever voice we heard, non?"

"Right." She simply stated as they ran off in the opposite direction.

…

Omega's guns spun rapidly until it seemed all the E-Series were ripped apart by the metal tearing barrage of bullets. "I think that's the last of them." Rouge commented.

"Negative. Another wave of E-Series Beta Prototypes incoming. Expected time of arrival: three minutes."

"Then let's get moving! I know me and Ant like open areas a lot better than crammed hallways." Amy said as she turned to see the wall that was created. In amongst the firefight, she must have not noticed the ceiling crashing down. "Ant?"

"Bio indicators read all sentient life in general area are functioning properly." Omega proclaimed.

"You're two friends are fine then." Shadow stated a bit coldly. "Let's move on then." He began to move forward.

"Are we not going to get them out?" Amy shouted letting her anger show as she ran after the G.U.N. trio.

"I've seen your friends in the field. Trust me. They'll be fine." Shadow reassured.

"Targets approaching." Omega said as they blasted through another wall creating a shortcut to the large residential area they initially separated in.

"I'm more worried about you hurting yourself." He added, just slinging more fuel in the fire.

"Hurting myself?" She said as they saw the E-Series storm through the hallway on the other side of the room.

"A red dress does not usually scream, 'I can handle myself.'" Shadow mocked as the gun fire was on them again.

"Don't know why you'd say that. You've seen me fight before." She mumbled furiously as everyone ran off in their own directions.

Rouge took off and flew around the rafters of the building, dodging an array of bullets as a third of the robots attention was drawn on her. Omega, without any grace or tact at all, just open fired. Shadow jumped into a spin ball and launched himself at a robot causing it to disassemble itself in a most unpleasant way. Amy charged in with full force, swinging her Piko Hammer wildly and taking out nearly an entire robot with each swing.

The bat came landed on one of the numerous dangling lights in the room and began jumping from light to light. The E-Series didn't think very strategically and continued firing which helped Rouge out in her plan. As they fired, the lights began to fall and hit some of the robots crushing them.

Omega continued to fire at the smaller robots. Their bullets were not of the caliber of his nor was his armor up to their standards so he acted pretty much as its own shield as he marched forward not giving his guns a chance to cool down in the rapid fire.

Shadow bust through the center of one of the robots and landed, looking up to see another one. He quickly leaped up and threw both his feet flat into the robot's chest as if kicking it, but grabbed ahold of its gun arm as he did so. Finally he sprung off, sending the robot flying in the opposite direction all the while ripping off the gun. He spun around, landed and twirled to fire the weapon he just received at a few more robots that was approaching him. But he must have missed one as Amy came up and smashed it just before it could slam Shadow into the ground with the forearm of the bot's heavy gun arm.

"Still want to say I can't handle myself?" Amy taunted.

Shadow let out a small huff before seeing another robot come up on the two. He quickly grabbed her, "Chaos–" he shouted as the two disappeared. "–Control!" He finished his statement as the two reappeared on the other side of the room, seeing their previous location get completely obliterated by the attacking robots. "Yes. I do." He finished their former conversation all the while using his straightforward attitude to get underneath Amy's skin even deeper. But before she could say anything, Shadow ran off to take out more of the enemy robots.

"I think that's the last of 'em." Rouge dropped down between Shadow and Amy as Omega fired at the last E-Series, ending the current firefight.

In the now silent area, they could hear more gun fire in the next large room. Shadow turned to his team, "I guess we know where we're heading." They looked around at the room they just destroyed. Despite the power being turned on in the entire complex, the room was slightly darkened as over half of the lights have been shot out or destroyed. But that was not their main objective. Team Dark still had not found what they were looking for, whatever it was, and Amy had to regroup with the rest of her team to get further order's from Sally; the whole situation must have changed with the sudden awakening of the 'abandoned' facility. "Come on, let's go." Shadow ran off quickly as his shoes glided over some of the smaller debris. The rest quickly followed.

"This is where we ran into you guys." Amy said, as they left the first hidden passageway they entered earlier and moved into the second large room with all the crates. "We first came in in the next room. That's where we entered from the surface." And suddenly, a large crash burst through the upper wall of the large building. They all spun in reaction as they saw three E-Series and a blue ball erupt from the wall, leaving a gaping hole connecting the room they were in with the first large on that Amy just spoke of.

The robots limply fell to the ground as Sonic landed flawlessly. "Hey guys. Nice to see your mugs again. I'd stick around to chat but there's bots to swat. Got to juice." He briefly said as he quickly took off and sprinted up the wall and back through the hole he just created.

"I will never get you blue hedgehog." Shadow simply stated.

"Come on, they might need our help!" Amy shouted as they headed toward the next room.

…

"Ah swear. This place is even creepier with the lights on!" Bunnie observed as her and Antoine continued venturing through the complex. With only the haunting cries for help as their guide, they moved deeper into the complex. They did not expect this to turn into a rescue mission but they couldn't stand idle when they clearly heard the voice through the vents.

"I think we're getting close." Antoine added, ignoring the rotting and crumbling cement walls that surrounded them. As they got deeper down the hallway, they could tell this place used to be the bowels of the whole facility. Moisture was seeping through the ceiling creating stagnant pools of muck on the floors and moldy décor on the walls. They came up to a room with a glass window and peeked inside. The sight was graphic. Though it was clearly from many years before, they could see a curled up corpse in the corner of the room where the chains around its wrist were still clamped on. The hold of the chain fell out of the wall they were posted in, giving more evidence to the age of the place.

"Mon dieu." Antoine said with pity.

"Sally-girl said this was probably a Robotnik facility during his first take over. I guess we're in the holding cells." They stared in a trance at the sight. "I'm glad we were just youngin's at the time and didn't have to deal with this." The coyote's mate said as she rested a hand on Antoine's shoulder for condolence.

"Let us move. Before our captive suffers the same fate." He said unfazed as he continued moving down the hallway.

The cries for help were getting louder. "_Help!_" "_Is anyone there!_" The voice was becoming more distinguishable now. It was female and very course. She must have been kept here for a while as her voice also reverberated with pain and desperation. "_I know I heard something…Help!_"

Finally, Antoine felt it necessary to return her calls. "Oui! We are here to save you." He hoped it was not a trap. He could tell the prisoner was legitimate but she could be bait. Anything could be waiting around each corner. "Keep calling out, we need to follow your voice!"

"_Over here!_" The calls were getting much louder. They were getting close. They turned a corner and found a hallway full of barred cells. "_Oh by Aurora, thank you…_" They turned toward the final call from the prisoner and saw her. They ran up to the front of the cell she was in and saw she was in worse shape than they thought. She was sitting down with her back against the far wall, propping her up because her starved and weak body couldn't do it for her. She was bloody and beaten with bruises and cuts and her leather clothes were ripped in numerous places. She looked up at her rescuers with glassy eyes and saw a peculiar expression on their face as they recognized who was staring at them.

"Lien da." Antoine stated completely monotone and void of any emotion.

"Just get me the fuck out of here." She feebly spat hoping that the two would stop their gawking and begin the rescuing.

"Right. Brace yourself." Bunnie said as Antoine took a step back. She extended her hand forward with her palm open and facing the lock to the cell. A glowing ball was beginning to form in her hand and along with it a strange electric buzz. Finally she released the shot which blew open the door. Lien da used all her strength to raise a forearm to shield her face from any possible debris but Bunnie only shot a suppressed shot just enough to destroy the lock. But as the cell door limply swung open, red lights and began to flash and alarms began to sound. "Ah shucks."

Mounted guns dropped from the corner of the rooms but Antoine was already on it. He sprinted over to one and drew his sword. The razor sharp blade cut through the mount of the gun, ceasing its fire before it even could begin. He moved to the next one as Bunnie hoisted the frail damsel onto her shoulders in a buddy carry. By the time she heard the second gun go down, Lien da was adjusted on her back comfortably and she began to take her leave.

Antoine picked up one of the fallen and destroyed guns and threw it in the path of the final mount. It fired at motion so the few seconds it took to follow the decoy proved fatal as soon the coyote swiftly sliced it off the wall. "Dat is all of them. Let's leave before ze enemy can reach us." He ordered as they began departing the way they came.

They jogged as quickly as they could down their original path. Bunnie was thankful for her boots at this point as well. They were creating somewhat of a bounce in each step to amend for the extra weight she was carrying so she would get tired out very quickly.

Before long, they made it to the hallway they got separated from Amy in and the collapsed wall remained which caused a problem. Bunnie gently set Lien da down against the side of the hallway. "Stand as cover for Lien da, sug." She suggested to Antoine as she thrust her left arm forward with her hand in a fist. He moved over and took a knee in front of their rescued person. Bunnie's fist charged and became encased in the glowing energy that came to be customary with her special gloves. She released the charge which shot out a blast nearly as big as the hallway they were in. It shot like a cannon through the collapsed wall, taking the debris with it as the energy blast twirled, riffling down the passage until it lost its momentum.

When the blast was through and the path in front of them showed to be cleared, Bunnie dropped her fist, panting a little, and turned back to face the other two. "You alright?"

"Fine. Et tu?" He asked Lien da. She weakly nodded her head. She must have used up what little energy she had left when she was shouting for help. It appeared as she was on the verge of passing out.

"Stay with us for a little longer girl." Bunnie said as she hoisted her up on her shoulders again as gently as she set her down previously.

"Bunnie come in!" Sally called over the radio.

"Sugah 'twan. Left chest pocket." The rabbit called out as Antoine pulled the radio out of the pocket she directed him too.

"Zis is Antoine. I read you, over." He said firmly, waiting for the next response.

…

"We're under heavy fire here. Sonic's holding them off but we need to extract immediately! Where are you at?" Sally yelled through the radio in her hand as blasts and crashed crowded the airwaves in the general area.

"We are on our way. It's Bunnie and me, plus one. Ze plus one is badly injured." Antoine responded on the other end.

The chipmunk took a moment to register his statement. They picked someone up? But there was no time to ask questions. She called to them to tell them to get back to the rendezvous to abort the mission but if they found someone the operation could turn out fruitful still. Her tactful mind quickly turned off as she registered the other part of Antoine's statement. The person they picked was injured meaning their top priority had just changed. They had to get out of there and back to safety quickly.

"Roger. Get over here asap. Nicole has the Mark II ready and waiting. Sally out." She said after a short pause. She tucked the radio back into her pocket and went to work.

She dove out of the cover she was residing behind at that time and rolled into a run. She jumped up on a large slab of cement that was likely placed in the odd position due to the bomb in the control room, and entered a flip. One of the E-Series robots that was tracking her followed her until she was locked onto his targeting system. But Sally's movements followed the chimes of the falling bullet casings from the robots automatic weapon like a dancer to a quintet at a ball. She gracefully lunged herself into the air in twirls and flips and landed in tucks and rolls, always remaining one step ahead of the dated robot's sensors. She turned and began bolting straight for another robot. It turned and began rotating its firearm ready to fire but just before it did, Sally dove on the ground. It was not as elegant as her other moves but it did what it had intended to do as the two robots that were after her now faced each other. Since Sally ducked out of their aim, they fired right at each other, tearing each other apart.

"Sally!" Amy called out as she ran into the fray with Team Dark trailing her. She swung her hammer and took out a robot with a single swing.

"Amy? I thought you were with Bunnie and Antoine!" The princess called out as she attempted to dash over to them but was stopped by more gunfire so she opted to take cover instead.

Sonic was still busting through the robot with general ease. "Come on, we're almost done! Let's finish these guys." He shouted.

Tails was doing his part too as he was taking a similar tactic as Rouge did previously and tried to drop things on the robots from above. Occasionally, and when presented the opportunity, he would swoop down and yank at the wires just below the back of the head. Team Dark noticed there were only a few left so they jumped in there too.

Shortly, the final E-Series was taken out by Shadow using his Chaos Spear to jab through the wasted metal. "That ought to do it." He said, dusting off his hands.

The area was in complete ruins as the fallout of the brawl was evident. The air slowly calmed and but it would probably take a few minutes for all the dust to fade. The light from what survived the destruction along with the natural light of the outside as it entered the large crater that was form from the bomb that went off gave a strange ambiance.

Omega and Rouge ended their spree a few meters from Shadow as he tended to run off on his own to play the lone wolf. "Indications say unknown mass approaching." Omega called out.

Rouge looked over at Shadow. She knew he could keep going on but she didn't want them to continue fighting a losing fight. "Status Omega.

"Nominal damage. Ammunition low. Restock immediately." Omega called out.

The bat sighed as it was on her call right now. She clicked the earpiece she had planted on her lobe and began speaking. "Commander Tower, this is special agent Rouge. Come in, over."

"Go ahead Rouge." The commander responded through the earpiece, allowing only Rouge to hear his voice.

"We are at Security Outpost 057 but have not retrieved the package. Enemy forces have been encountered and neutralized but another wave approaches. Omega's low on ammo but Shadow and I are able to keep going. We do not have any leads on the location of the package and we do not know how many reinforcements the enemy has. Awaiting orders." She decided not to mention Sally and the others as she could see they were getting ready to extract leaving only their team to fend off what lies next.

"Good copy. Call it in. It's likely that if you have not found the package, the perpetrator has relocated the package along with himself somewhere else. I'd rather have you fall back now and fight another day. Return to base."

"Yes sir." She said, clicking the earpiece again and ending their transmission.

"So, care to take back that statement of yours?" Amy said with a cheeky smile to the red and black hedgehog as she leisurely leaned on her hammer with the head on the ground to be used as a base.

"Hmph." He simply grunted in response.

"Shadow." Rouge grabbed his attention as she approached him. "We got our orders. Abort mission and head back to base. We can continue our search another day."

As much as Shadow hated throwing in the towel and leaving a mission unsuccessful, it was his orders. He has gotten better over the years at following higher command's orders despite the few insubordinate acts every now and then.

"Alright. Let's head out." He stepped forward to follow Rouge to regroup with Omega when Amy grabbed his arm.

"Hold up buster." She said forcibly. "I want to know why you're here. Who are you looking for?" She posed.

Shadow shifted his eyes away from her face. "Again. Why would I tell you?"

"You'll tell me." She said confidently. One could feel the heat from the leers alone between the two.

"Okay. We've received a transmission. Unthreatening but we feel it could be part of something…big. I'm not going to disclose this missions objectives but let me just say this pink hedgehog." He grabbed her upper arms. "Something bad is going to happen. I'd suggest you take cover and save yourself."

"Shadow, the big guy's indicators say the next wave is approaching." Rouge called out to him a bit anxiously. Her and Omega were standing not too far off waiting for their other party member.

He broke his grip on Amy and joined the others. A loud bang could be heard from the other side of the room. The next wave was close. Omega picked up Rouge and Shadow and ignited the rockets in the sole of his metallic feet and blasted out of the opening created by the bomb.

"Amy! Get over here! Another group of E-Series!" Tails called out as a door opened revealing another hidden passageway and the robots stormed into the room. The bullets were flying again and the remaining troopers went to work.

"We have to get out of here." Sally stated more or less to herself. "Everyone, retreat to the Mark II! Let's get the hell out of here!" She then shouted to her company.

They all took their own method of getting out of there. Sonic picked Sally up and cradled her in his arms as he normally did and ran up the walls, through the same hole that Omega and the rest of Team Dark jettisoned out of. Tails grabbed Amy's hands and was flying after the blue blur.

They made it to the Mark II just as Nicole, with her artificial timing, opened up the bay door. They all entered and took their seats. "Everyone get strapped in. Nicole, get ready for remote take off. Do all the checks but don't launch until I give the command. And prep the guns. We may have some bogeys on us in a few moments." Sally ordered.

"You got it." The cybernetic lynx complied.

"Come on Bunnie. Come on Antoine. Hurry up."

…

Antoine kept track of the radio and placed it in his pocket this time after finishing his conversation with Sally. "We have to get out here fast." He stated.

"Better get along then." Bunnie said but was stopped.

"Wait. How much battery do you 'ave left?" Antoine questioned his mate with a precarious grin.

"Enough if you're thinking what I'm thinking." She smirked back at him.

"Secure Lien da and tell me when you're ready." He reassured.

"Bear with me sug." She told the nearly unconscious body over her shoulders as she readjusted to now have her slung like a ruck sack. She crouched forward and placed her feet in 'starting line' position. She reached back a hand, waiting for Antoine to grab hold. "Ready dear?"

And to answer her question, he clenched onto her wrist and she did the same for him, locking their grip. She ignited the boosters in her boots and took off. Flying through the center of the hall, they were into the large residential area in no time. She flew above the debris from the battle between the E-Series and Team Dark then entered the hallway they originally took to get there. She twisted and turned through the narrow passageways with Lien da on her shoulders and Antoine dangling in her grip. They came to the next large room with all the crates and saw a large hole blasted through the wall. She didn't question it, not knowing it was done by her blue ally earlier, and flew right into the final of the large warehouse-like rooms.

"Sweet goodness." The flying rabbit proclaimed, not expecting to see the final wave of E-Series present on the ground below her and definitely not expecting the welcome they were giving her. "Almost there." She mumbled as she too headed toward the hole that was quite popular at the moment as the getaway point. She heard a beeping from her gear telling her the battery was almost dead. The boosters in her feet began to flicker as she tried her best to keep them going. She shot into the desert sun and aimed for the open bay door of the Mark II.

With one final push, she flung herself into the bay just as the boosters fell. She turned to her left side so that when they crashed, the injured body over her right shoulder wouldn't take the fall. Antoine released himself from her grip and rolled a bit until stopped by the opposite wall of the Mark II with a heavy 'thud.'

"Gun it Nicole." Sally ordered. The jet went into launch as the door closed in midair. Bunnie cringed at the crash landing she just encountered but suppressed the pain and moved toward the back of the cabin bay. She hit a few switches on the wall and a gurney dropped down. She hoisted the injured being onto it and secured her in as Antoine shook off his crash and moved to the pilot seat. Bunnie hovered over her as her marred body slowly rose up and down with her unconscious breaths. "Sal, y'all might want to take a look at this." She said as she moved to a seat and strapped herself in.

Sally came down to the back of the cabin and looked at the body with surprise. "Nicole, patch me a link to Knuckles and Julie su." She continued to study the resting body. "They're going to want to know."

* * *

><p><strong>Pre-'Author's Note' Note<strong> I'm writing this note after I wrote the following note and after a few changes in the chapter. I don't know why I am so bothered by this Lien da thing. I don't know if I should reveal her identity when Antoine and Bunnie find her or in the end when Sally looks over her. I have literally changed this detail four times and republished the chapter twice now all because I don't know which is better writing. Of course it doesn't matter because she is revealed anyway but I don't want to be cliche and I want the writing to be the best I can make it. So this is going to be the final edit. I hope it was still a surprise and sorry for the flip-flopping. You can tell me which one you think is better (I'd prefer it actually) and I'll just bite my lip later.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: This was an extremely hard chapter to write. I knew where I wanted it to go, but the question that made me stop on numerous occasions was how was I going to get there. I literally went back and edited, took out time to think how to do things, and formed each piece like a puzzle. I was debating having Lien da's identity to be concealed until the very end as kind of a shocker, but I thought that might be a bit too cliche.

I also realized during this and the last chapter that I don't picture the Freedom Fighters how I want them to be pictured in this time setting and I'm the one writing this fanfic! You're free to visual this story how you want – that's the point of reading – but I just want to remind everyone so that it's fresh in your minds that this takes place six years later than the current Archie time setting. So everyone is older. You can go back to the first chapter for the age reference list and to get the character's age in this story, add six to that list – ie Tails is 18, Sonic and Sally is 23, Antoine is 26, et cetera.

Long chapter and long A/N but hopefully I'll get some REVIEWS because it all...


	9. The Freedom Fighters Return

Still a Need for Heroes

Chapter 9: The Freedom Fighters Return

"Where is she?" Julie su blurted angrily as she stormed the entrance of Tommy Turtle Memorial Hospital. "Where is she? I got to see her."

"Calm down, Su. She was barely alive when they found her. I know you hate her and all but still." Knuckles hustled after her. It was amazing that she felt no pity for the woman in her current state. It would be hard to find pity for anyone who had wronged you and done what she had but all in all, she was still the same blood.

"I don't care. In fact, good! She deserves it." She stepped up to the front desk. "Which room can I find Lien da?"

"Room 334. Take the elevator down the hall and take a right on the third floor." The cat answered calmly.

"Thanks." She said to her, turning toward the elevator. "Come on." She grabbed Knuckles wrist and tugged him along aggressively.

Sally stood next to Elias in the hallway of the third floor after her 'visit' which consisted mostly of questions, unfortunately unanswered ones. "She didn't say much. Not that she had the energy but still. Give her some time to recoup and we should be able to get some things straightened out." Julie su and Knuckle's elevator door just opened and Sally turned to see them rush out. "Julie su, wait!"

"Princess Sally." She responded, stopping unwillingly.

"She's in critical condition right now. You can see her but don't do anything…drastic." Her plea looked sincere and almost sympathetic.

Julie su grunted and huffed. She crossed her arms and threw head to the side. "Yes ma'am." She said surprisingly obedient and mannerly before turning around and taking off down the hallway.

"Do you need to go with her?" Elias asked his younger sister.

"I thought about it." She said softly. Then closed her eyes and waved her hand to show her dismissal. "But Knuckles will probably be able to handle her."

In Room 334, the door burst open with an enraged pink echidna with fumes practically steaming from her nostrils. She looked around and saw the patched up and motionless taller red echidna lying on the hospital bed. She looked beaten with bruises all over her body. Her right arm was in a cast as even she didn't know it was broken. Her left eye was black and swollen and her gauss bandages were already bloody again and needing to be changed.

Julie su's anger slowly dropped, as did her tightened up shoulders, as she began to feel sorry for her half-sister at the sight. Lien da crept her head to the side as she saw the two visitors standing in the doorway. "Julie su." She painstakingly called out. But with the sound of her sister's voice ringing in her ears again, her anger quickly returned. She stomped over to the injured one and swung her hand back and then forward getting ready to let a full blown slap land across the injured body's face but Knuckles was quick to act and grabbed her wrist in midair before it could land the blow. The injured began to whisper with a slowed and course voice, "You little bi–"

"Don't start with me!" She tore through the woman's insult. "You've been up to something over these years. What are you planning?"

Lien da gave her a peculiar and baffled look. "I've been held captive for the past few months." She paused, letting her gain enough energy to speak again. "What do you think I've been 'planning,' _little sis_?"

"If you've been captive, there's a reason behind it. I know you, you scheming insect. You drop off the map for years and next thing we know, you're in the basement of some hideout." The flaming echidna explained not letting Lien da get to her any.

"Su, I know how it sounds but give her some time to get better. She agreed to the king to explain it all when she feels able." Knuckles explained, resting his bulky gloves on his partner's shoulder.

"Yeah." Lien da let out an unexpected couple of coughs. "Listen to your little boy toy. By the way, good to see you're still together." She said sarcastically and almost sinisterly. Her tone was weakened and soft due to her physical state but her typical spiteful attitude was all too noticeable.

"I don't want to hear it." Julie su snapped.

The bed ridden echidna closed her eyes from fatigue as the troublesome task of even speaking was wearing her out. "Look." She said. "I can kick you out of this room…" she made constant breaks to take in a deep breath or two, "at any moment… so I'm going to tell you something… that might satisfy you so… so you can shut up and let me get some rest." Julie su and Knuckles waited in anxiety at her next words. "Being a prisoner for so long is hell." She started off.

"Tell that to all those you've imprisoned over the years in the Dark Egg Legion." The other female in the room spat viciously.

Lien da didn't dignify that with a response. "I became a thief… Among overlanders." She told. She really couldn't handle this at the moment and knew she needed to rest but also knew Julie su was her half-sister meaning if anything she was just as persistent as herself and wouldn't care what state she as in as long as she got what she wanted. "Well one did not like that very much… This guy… was a fanatic. Extremist for overlander superiority." She tried to recall more information but the shock of being a prisoner for so long was still fresh, she was not mentally able to go on. She consistently blinked, or closed her eyes to convince herself to stay conscious for just a few more moments but finally gave in. "I…can't say much more….Not now at least." To Knuckles and Julie su, she seemed truthful at that statement and they left it at that. "Now if you don't mind…" But she didn't need to finish her request.

"We'll be back." Julie su flung at her once more before immediately leaving the room with irate huffs. Knuckles stayed for half a second later and saw Lien da almost relieved she was finally able to close her eyes again without being disturbed. He quickly followed Julie su out.

"Well?" Sally asked, waiting back down the hall by the elevators for her and Knuckles to be through. Elias had already made his leave in the time that they were in Lien da's room.

"Give her time." The echidna responded still pretty angrily.

*o*

It was late morning at G.U.N. Command and Shadow was just now letting his eyes creep open from recovering from the intensity of the day before. They had different pills and solutions to help ease soreness and pain that many of the agents used after strenuous missions but the black and red hedgehog never really believed in that stuff. He figured a bed and a long rest were good enough to do the job. Whether he was right or not, he was never in a good mood after hard missions. Not only that, he wasn't too keen on that his mission was aborted before it could be completed. A label he viewed as a failure.

He rested on his bed with his arms propped behind his quills awaiting the inevitable as Rouge usually banged on his door for the post-mission brief that always took place in the day after. 'Bang' 'Bang' 'Bang.'

"Just in time." He mumbled and got up. He, like the others stationed at the base, had his own studio apartment like room in the residential commons area. They weren't too roomy but the conditions were good. He threw the door open and saw the bat standing there with one hand resting on her hips as they jutted out to one side in the pose she was holding.

"Morning tall dark and handsome. It's that time again and apparently the commander's pretty pissed about something." She turned away and began walking off. "So try to contain yourself."

Shadow was going to grumble something but let it go and followed her to the Command Room. Not too far of a walk through the complex but the hedgehog always found himself questioning whether he liked or hated the metallic walls and glass windows that revealed only another room as he walked down the corridors. It often reminded him of the Space Colony Ark which brought back both happy and sad memories but he told himself to move on and not dwell on it which made it hard to accept the similar lifestyle at G.U.N. Thankfully, he had been there for years so it was all routine anyway.

They came up to the Command Room which encompassed a large circular area with computer monitors making orderly rows emanating from an imaginary epicenter of the room. Toward the back was an overlooking second story section which had stairs on each side that led down to the main area below. A large digital screen was projected on the far curved wall which usually depicted a satellite oriented map of Mobius.

Rouge and Shadow came down the stairs and met with Commander Tower as he overlooked an inferior lieutenant as he worked on simulated missile guidance trajectory on the monitor he was positioned in front of. "Sir, Agents Shadow and Rouge reporting as ordered." Rouge said pretty firmly, as she snapped to attention and rendered a salute. Shadow did the same but not as crisp.

"Thank you. At ease." He said casually but there was something about his poise that did not give the two agents much confidence. He began walking toward the center of the room with his hands grasped to each other behind his back. He avoided eye contact. "What were the parameters of the mission you were sent on yesterday?"

"Excuse me sir? With full respect, you ordered us to abort." Rouge questioned a little offset as she thought he was going to ream them for abandoning the mission, but that was not the case.

"Answer the question." He said behind gritted teeth.

The bat let out a huff and rolled her eyes behind the Commander's back. Mobians tended not to recognize the material-like respect for the authority of superiors as the human and overland counterparts but working with them for a few years now, the Commander learned to overlook that. "Insertion into Security Outpost 057 to scout out and retrieve the mission package known as ex-Grandmaster Lien da." She began to ramble off. It was required for them to memorize the mission statement for each operation so that they take it all to heart. "Reconnaissance and Intelligence has traced her location to the facility. Confidentiality is of utmost importance."

"Confidentiality is of utmost importance." The tall and statuette man reiterated slowly and emphatically. Shadow felt his heart rate increase but if there was one thing he was good at, it was not displaying his emotions. Worst of all, fear. "If that was the case, do you mind explaining this?" The Commander pulled out a small remote he seemingly was hiding in his sleeve and clicked a button. The large screen switched from an Interrupted Projection map of Mobius to a live feed from King Elias Acorn.

"Good Morning Commander Tower. As you know, both mine and your teams coincidentally ran into each other yesterday at a location deemed, 'Security Outpost 057.' I hope your field operatives are doing well after the unexpected events that took place." The young King began to say, issuing respect as an important initiative.

"There are fine. I wish the same for your agents."

"Thank you. But there are a few things we need to straighten out. Communication would be the first thing both of us are guilty of." The King explained. "We both deployed into an abandoned area which turned out to be hostile. I had my reasons for sending in my team and you had yours. But we both felt these missions of too high of importance to inform the other regional factions or of too low of importance."

"We tend to do be a lone wolf when it comes to operational activity." Tower stated his brief clarification.

"I understand. But I mentioned in our brief chat last night, I believe our objectives may correspond in a certain way. A way I feel we need to pay more attention to." Elias continued.

"How so?" The Commander asked for the sake of the two agents he was now glaring at for he knew the answer.

"One of our operatives, I will keep the names disclosed, rendezvoused with one of yours where it sounds as if you received a similar letter or transmission or some kind of intel as we have received a few days ago."

"If you are regarding to the 'further research' that will be conducted, yes we did. We did not take see it fit to take immediate action but we have investigated the ordeal. Before we go into detail about that however, I wish to emphasize the fact that our objectives at Security Outpost 057 did not surround that anonymous notice."

"Very well. May I ask what it did surround?" The king asked curiously.

"I'm afraid not. We here at G.U.N like to keep that disclosed for national security purposes." Tower responded pretty formally. "We had our own reasons for being there."

"Well ours involved the anonymous message which makes me pretty confident whatever reason you _were_ there for is connected somehow. Let me ask you this Commander. Does it alarm you that we both received the same notice from someone we have not yet identified with yet?"

"It does. And I already have men working on the case."

"That will not suffice." Elias said as he stepped away from the camera for a minute leaving the screen vacant for a short moment.

"Excuse me?" Tower sounded insulted and a bit angered.

Elias came back into view as whatever the reason for his short absence was probably insignificant. "We were led to Security Outpost 057 after Sir Charles and I found a connection with that notice and a sabotage job with one of our outer region reactors. We feel the same perpetrator is also behind an attempt on the lives of The Chaotix after they picked up an investigative job issued by myself and my council. Now from the reports from our field agents it seems this is a much greater threat than we could have imagined."

The Commander raised and eye brow and subconsciously began rubbing his chin. "How so?"

"Well I have already spoken to the President of the United Federation about these matters. We wish to create a joint effort to investigate these matters. Apparently they affect you as well if you received the same message I have." Elias seemed very quaint and proper through the whole thing which usually he did so for only a small segment of any explanation he was giving.

The Commander gave a small pause before retorting. "We could perform a joint effort. Exchange information that we see fit."

"No Commander. We need full information exchange." Elias persisted.

"Like I said before, we like to do things our own way." Tower responded.

"I am arranging a conference between you, the President, myself, Sir Charles, and another member of my council to go over more details and plans of action. You are free to bring another representative of whom you seem fit. I am willing to fully disclose the reports of my field operatives for this past mission at Security Outpost 057. I would feel offended if you didn't do the same." He said letting his canine teeth show just slightly.

"Very well. We will convene and talk later."

"One more thing Commander."

"Yes?"

"One piece of information we thought you should know is that we were able to recover a prisoner unknowingly being held at the outpost. Lien da is currently under constant medical attention and will remain in our custody until a later given time."

Tower, Rouge and Shadow froze like a statue in their spots. "Very well." Tower was able to croak.

"Elias out." He said then blipped off the monitor, returning the scaled Interrupted Projection of Mobius on the large curved backdrop.

Tower turned to Rouge and Shadow. "Sir, do you think he knows we were after her?" Rouge asked a bit worried.

"No." The taller man said as he violently rubbed his eyes with his fingers. "Standard international POW act states that any recovered prisoners when dealing with an international affair must be disclosed to the rest of the party."

"But this isn't an international affair?" Shadow asked.

"It just became one." He slammed down his fist on a table causing a few heads to turn in the room. "We needed her to give us intel on this Hook character. She knows stuff." He said in a clamed voice, letting all his rage out on the fist slam.

"Sir, we know stuff too. A lot of stuff. Probably more than Acorn does. So why is this such a big deal?" Shadow asked not so interested in the topic.

"I'm guessing that's how you felt when you gave away information?" Tower asked, not knowing officially it was Shadow that said something but just to make a statement.

That sparked the anger in the red hedgehog as he finally retained his post-mission attitude and defiance. "Listen, you told us to get out of there so we complied. We didn't tell them who we were after and we complied. From what it sounds like they would have questioned our presence there anyway, so why is it such a damn big deal that they know we received a similar notice as they did? If anything it helps us out because we know they got the same one!" He shouted in his superior's face.

"We didn't have to get directly involved this soon and could have figured more stuff out." He gritted back. "Now I know how you can be Agent Shadow so I tend to let your boldness slide but let me remind you how to treat your superior officer." Tower took a few steps closer to the Mobian and looked down as the considerably shorter creature to again assure authority.

"I–" Shadow was about to go off one a hell-uv-a tangent and mudslinger but just then Hope walked into the command room, signing in for the day. She had grown up considerably over the years and now worked full-time for G.U.N. She tossed the overalls and switch to just a pair of jeans, fitting the casual attire for civilian contractors, yet looked pretty professional with a clipboard in her hand ready for the day of work ahead of her. But to Shadow, she reminded him more and more of Maria as her current age was reflecting more of Maria's when they were separated. He looked at her and they made eye contact; she smiled to him but he was frozen. He hated to display himself in a bad light in her presence, thinking Maria was really the one monitoring him, and just turned away. "I need some fresh air." He said then left the room through a lower access door.

Tower and Rouge usually let him be as he usually cooled off when he 'got fresh air' which they highly suspected that's what he was doing as sometimes they wouldn't see him for many hours. "We've covered up a lot over the years," Rouge began to say, returning to the subject at hand between now only her and the Commander.

"And we've prevented a whole lot over the years." He wanted to reiterate.

"Yes, that too. But what I'm saying is sometimes we have to get our hands dirty. We all knew for a while this could turn big. And yeah we know some things, but not a lot. This could turn out beneficial especially if we end up preventing a larger catastrophe than one just concerning ourselves." She finished her explanation.

"We will discuss further during some wrap sessions." The Commander began rubbing his eyes again. "This shit just got a whole lot messier." He mumbled.

*o*

"Amy, we can't thank you enough." The King said after finishing his call with Commander Tower. Now we know for sure that what we are dealing with is bigger than we could have ever expected. Hopefully now we will be more prepared." Elias said quite happy about the new piece of information Amy told them. It was not a lot but it let them know that the same person who contacted them anonymously may also be sending the same messages to other nations and factions across Mobius. They still do not know if it is a threat but seeing as on two occasions, those sent to investigate different facilities were almost killed, it was beginning to look that way.

"No problem." Amy stated unusually gingerly. She gave a quick bow and conference room they made the call from and then headed to leave the castle.

It was not long after she left the castle grounds that she heard a voice from the shadows. "You know that was not meant to be free information." Amy jumped a little and turned around to see the hedgehog whose name seemed to fit his disguise as he emerged from the shade of thick tree.

"Jeez Shadow, you scared me." Amy said with a tone that displayed that she was obviously startled.

"That was supposed to be a warning." He said walking closer to her. He stopped at a good distance and crossed his arms.

"I had to disclose everything about the mission." She said with a stuck-up tone, closing her eyes and twisting her torso away.

"Oh come on. You sound like a G.U.N. Agent and even I don't sound like that." He said a bit aggravated.

"Well _Shady_." She said taunting him a bit which didn't go over well for the hedgehog who already was in a bad mood. "If it was a warning, then why tell me?"

He took a forceful step forward and flung one of his hands into a fist that floated in the air just off the side of his body. "Because there is something really bad here!" When he was done with his statement, he flung his clenched palm back and released the fist, showing a lot of emphasis for his statement. "From what we've looked into, we don't like what we see. And even worse, what we don't see. The other's aren't all up in arms about is as much as I am but I tend to know when things will turn ugly." He explained.

"Then why don't you tell Tower? Or Rouge or something?" She asked sensing the anger transfer over to her.

"You think I haven't done that? These 'official' operations move to slow for my liking. In all honesty, I'm glad Acorn is involved now. Maybe things will pick up." He said turning away.

Amy's face was all scrunched up now. "First, you yell at me for telling Elias about your little slip the other day, now you are saying you're thankful? Make up your mind!" She shouted.

Shadow let out a sigh. "If I say it's because I'm probably in some deep shit for that, it would just be me being selfish…So thanks. Because now I'm in some deep shit for that." Amy released a small smirk. Shadow continued to move away but stopped and turned his head slightly so that a blurred image of Amy could be seen in his peripheral. "I still suggest you take cover and save yourself." And with that he turned his head back forward. "Chaos–!" And in a green flash, he was gone.

Amy shrugged and continued on home.

*o*

*knock* *knock* *knock* – Mina moved over to the door and opened it to see Sonic, Sally, and Tails. "Hey, Mina." Sally called out first while Mina immediately found herself in an embrace with the princess. She pulled away and continued. "We wanted to stop by shortly before Elias' speech. Sorry we couldn't pay a visit sooner. We're real sorry about what has happened."

"How you keeping up song bird?" Sonic said as he too gave her a hug before entering her temporary residency. Tails followed the same track of hugging her then entering the house.

"Good. I've been… good. You can ask Amy, I've gotten a lot better." She chuckled a little, trying hard to keep in high spirits.

"Don't let her fool you, she's still as somber as ever." Amy said jokingly as she came up to her house. Mina acknowledged the joke but still ended up looking a bit droopy at the statement. "I have everyone invading my house now don't I?" She asked seeing Sonic Sally and Tails already seated on her living room furniture.

"Sorry, they came to visit." The mongoose explained humbly as she shut the door behind the pink hedgehog.

"Oh, don't worry about it! This is your home as well." Amy said, comforting her discomforted friend. They moved over and sat on remaining vacant spots on the furniture.

"So I know you probably don't want us to bring it up but," Sally came up to ask.

"Don't worry about it." Mina shrugged and shook her head slightly. "The more I accept it, the better."

"but, what exactly happened?" She continued her original question.

"Well I was coming home from a meeting about the tour and I told Ash I would stop for groceries on my way back. I tend to take a while when grocery shopping so I," She began to tear up just in recollection of the incident, "I guess that's when he figured he could call up his little _mistress_. I didn't want to be out for long so I decided to skip the shopping and headed home early. It all seemed normal until I went up to our room where I saw him having a grand old time on top of some stranger." She briefly explained with some involuntary inflections in her voice.

"Damn." Sonic simply stated.

"Mina, I'm so sorry. I didn't know you walked in on him. That's just awful." Sally said with the same thoughts and reactions as Sonic but articulated them into words better than the hedgehog did.

"Better you found out I guess." Tails added.

She smiled. "Yeah, guess so." She turned to the rest of the group. "Tails has really been great this past week." She added out of nowhere. The fox was at a pretty mature age but his childish blushing that occurred at any compliment given by anyone still showed under his white furred cheeks. "Same with the band, and I can't even begin with you Amy." She said sincerely grateful.

"It's not a problem. We're here to watch out for you remember?" She said.

"Yeah." She said with a weak smile.

"So have you heard from Ash any?" Sonic asked.

"He has tried to call me since day one but I don't think I'm ready to face him just yet." She said a bit melancholy.

"What about the tour? How's that coming?" Tails asked, relieving her from the same old subject.

"Well, I spoke with the label this morning. They decided it would be best to delay the tour which also gives us sufficient time to find a replacement manager." Mina explained.

"Well that's good. Give you some time to sort things out as well." Sally added.

"Yup." The mongoose resorted to simple responses, not feeling the necessity to drag out every answer. But questions were different. "So that speech of King Elias'. Probably something to do with that mission you guys went on?"

"Something like that." The princess stated blatantly.

"Do you think it'll be anything big?" She became inquisitive.

"Well he'll probably just talk about the mission and what came from it. So it's quite possible that it's big for you and the rest of the general public but for us who were there and wrote the official report for the mission, I think we pretty much know what's going on." Sally said more official than she wanted to because all in all, it was something big. It's not every day a nation is told they have a new threat with an unknown enemy. But she was not coy about keeping classified information classified when she has too. Anyone working in the government, and especially her giving her title, has to be good at concealing information and expression.

"Good or bad?" Mina asked which made it awkward for everyone in the room. She got the hint through the silent and shifting eyes. "I'll just find out shortly." She said, knowing her place in amongst the present group.

"We actually probably should be getting ready to head out to that." Sally said, looking at the clock over Amy's fireplace. Her and Sonic got stood up, signaling that they were keeping true to their word.

Tails and Amy looked over and saw Mina a bit down again. She probably was happy to see people even for a short time but they had things to do and couldn't stay longer than a few minutes. "Come along with us. It'd be good to get some fresh air any way. Not only that, you get to see the speech live." Tails offered, not wanting the mongoose to sulk alone much more.

Her pierced ears twitched up. "Okay." She smiled and got up as well, ready to follow them. "Do–" She hesitated, "do you think Ash will be there?"

"That punk-rocker at a political rally?" Sally teased as she threw a limp wrist to dismiss the thought. "Pfshh, don't count on it."

It brought a light chuckle up from Mina's chest as they headed out the door.

…

"Kind of a big crowd." Sally said as they quintet pushed their way through the crowd to get a better view. Most were reluctant to give up their spot but once they saw who it was battling the crowd, they gave in.

"I think it's about to start." Mina said as the crowd began to silence themselves.

Loud cheers and whoops erupted as the King made his appearance behind the rostrum that was placed in the center of a miniature stage in front of the crowd on one side and the castle on the other. The council, just as notable as the King almost, appeared and stood in front of a small row of chairs on the stage, designated for them.

Elias smiled and let the people finish their shouts on their own time. Once they did, he began speaking. "Greetings great citizens of Acorn and good afternoon. I do not wish to keep you here long, but coming from recent events, I regret that I must relay some important information to you all."

The crowd changed moods from glee to curiosity and concern. Mumbles and murmurs erupted between mouth and ear. Mina looked at the rest of her company with the same expression as the rest of the crowd but they just shrugged it off.

"As you know, some field operatives were sent on a mission to uncover the culprit of a recent sabotage case in one of our mountain reactors. Through intelligence gathering and much field study work conducted by Sir Charles, myself and the rest of the Council, we traced the suspect's location to an abandoned Robotnik facilty deemed, Security Outpost 057. Upon arrival, it was apparent that the complex was abandoned but later in the mission, they came into contact with hostiles." The crowd took it in without reaction as they were in complete listening mode. "All of our field operatives made it out safely. Through the reports of the operatives and through further research, we have great reason to believe we have a serious threat on our hands that may and in some cases already has developed into an international affair. However, through the mission we did not find the suspect or any more information that may give us leads to his location, but we have the military working frantically on the case.

"Though the mission was not all for naught. In the excursion, our operatives were able to find and rescue a prisoner who has been held captive by, whom we presume to be the suspect, for months. That prisoner is no other than known Ex-Grandmaster of the Dark Egg Legion, Lien-da." At this statement, more babbles exploded in the crowd. The waited for it to die down to continue. "She is in critical condition and is being guarded heavily. She was not in the condition to speak or relay any information at the time but she has agreed to disclose everything she knows once she is able and once she recovers. But one thing we know for sure, we have concluded we have a new threat. We do not know if we are dealing with an enemy of the state or just a rogue at the time but we will pursue the endeavor and ensure your safety. I request the presence of those sent on the mission to come forward at my designation." The King paused to watch the crowd look around and also to spot out some of those whom he was talking about.

"Ladies and gentlemen, these men and women were present on more than one mission dealing with this matter and as you will all find out shortly, I would assume you know why I am calling them forward. With that being said, would the following appointed field operatives and civilian cooperative agents come forward." He included Tails and Amy as 'civilian cooperative agents' since they were not technically government field operatives. "Miles 'Tails' Prower. Amy Rose. Prince Sonic Acorn." Already, the crowd was getting a good idea of what was going on. "Princess Sally Acorn. And Commander Antoine and Bunnie D'Coolette."

Amy, Sally, Sonic, and Tails were throwing glances at each other as even they didn't know what was going on. This was something Elias did not even tell Sally and Sonic about. Mina saw this just through their expressions and urged them forward seeing as they have not yet moved. The crowd departed slightly to make way for those heading toward the stage. Bunnie and Antione were on the other side of the crowd and entered the stage from the other side. The six stood in a line, facing the audience and stood up straight with their hands clasped behind their back in a fixed professional pose. They have been called up many times before and knew the procedure well which showed in their uniformity and crispness.

"Do you or Antoine know what's going on?" Sally mumbled through closed lips and a fixed jaw to Bunnie who stood next to her.

"Not a clue Sally-girl." She responded similarly.

"And may I also include Nicole." At the King's command, the lynx appeared in a green and black pixelated cloud on the end of the line in suit and in the same pose as the other members. "As of now and with approval by the Council of Acorn, I have official reinstated the Freedom Fighters so that they once again will protect us from foreign and domestic threats and from the uncertainty that has arisen over the past couple of weeks." The crowd erupted in claps and cheers, jubilant about the return of their heroes. The Freedom Fighters themselves stood with larger eyes and concealed shock at the unexpected declaration. The crowd continued to cheer for a moment longer before dying down to silence again. They did not like the idea of a possible conflict but they dismissed that fact now that the Freedom Fighters were back.

"Tomorrow, I, along with Sir Charles and Council Member Bennett will meet with the President of the United Federation along with Commander Tower to discuss the matter. It disheartens me to relay this information to you but we will see through this and we will endure as we have before. Thanks you."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>:

Whoa, two updates at the same time? I finished Chapter 9 (as you can see here) and also the final installment of Shadows and Regrets (for those who were following that as well).

I hoped you enjoyed it and THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS ARE BACK! There is a lot more to come but now that I've finished this chapter - after having started it over a month ago - updates will be even slower now because I don't have the next chapter started and I began work on my research project for my internship today. So sorry but you might have to wait a bit :/

Again, hope you liked it and as always - review!


	10. First Soleanna Convention

Still a Need for Heroes

Chapter 10: First Soleanna Convention

"It is a partly cloudy day today as leaders of our own United Federation meet with leaders from the Kingdom of Acorn here in Soleanna to discuss political and foreign matters of national security as a new threat has apparently risen beneath our feet." A female spoke confidently with microphone in hand to a news camera.

Their vantage was an ideal one as they were on a slightly elevated stairwell outside a large building. Behind the woman, the background displayed an active street with other news reporters and members of the press from both nationalities as they desperately tried to push and cram their way through the crowds to get a good shot or a single word from the politicians that were making their way toward their location in their respective vehicles.

She continued. "Recently, the Kingdom of Acorn had reported a sabotaged reactor which had connections to an abandoned Robotnik facility in Mercia. King Elias issued a secret mission where all that was released about said mission was that a trap was waiting for the agents. Our own U.F. has also released classified information about a very recent mission of infamous Team Dark as they infiltrated another abandoned Robotnik facility codenamed 'Security Outpost 057.' They were led to the facility after multiple leads and intelligence gathering instigated by ransom-like notes that were given to many members of our own congressional and executive order. It was there where the team unknowingly ran into field agents of the Kingdom of Acorn as they too reported to similar intel to the same location.

"The convention between the two nations, taking place in only a few hours, was revealed simultaneously in both nations through speeches given by the President and by King Elias where the monarch also reinstated the Knothole Freedom Fighters for the occasion." The woman turned toward the streets behind her where she began to point out some of the figures getting out of their cars and heading into the Grand Palace where the conference will be held.

"You can see now as they head into the Grand Palace, it is only a select few representatives from each nation. You can see President Martin heading into the building right now followed by Commander Tower of G.U.N. It is rumored that the Speaker of the House will also be present but we have not seen Mr. McCoy yet today.

"Coming up now is King Elias with Sir Charles and Bennett Connelly of the Council of Acorn." She turned back to the cameraman to show off her well pampered face and to give the final words of her report to the audience. "They have made it into the building where they will get situated and begin the convention in a couple of hours. It is unclear as to what threat we may be up against at this time but if the Freedom Fighters are back, let's just hope it's nothing on the scale of the Great Robotnik Wars a few years back; a climactic struggle at which we are still recovering. This is Kate Marquise of GNN, Soleanna U.F."

*o*

"Mr. President, the conference room has been prepared." An attendant in a business cocktail came up to The President as he stood in a hallway with some of his staff.

"Very well, thank you." He directed toward her and popped his suit coat forward a bit to assure his presentable appearance. "Boys, I will see you once we are through." He said, dismissing his convened assistants and began walking down the hallway to the appropriate location.

He came into the door and saw everyone already seated. He turned to lock the door and placed the key at the center of the table. On the other side, secret services of both countries were standing guard.

At the two heads of the conference table were to be the President and King Elias. On the sides of the tables were the representatives, Sir Charles, Bennett the Raccoon, Commander Tower and a Mr. McCoy whom was not expected by those representing Acorn. "Good morning gentlemen. I hope you got acquainted with Mr. James McCoy, he is the Speaker of our House of Legislatures. He will be joining as the third representative of the United Federation." The President stated as he gave his hand in the direction of McCoy then casual took his seat.

"We have conversed in the meantime. I would have appreciated it if we would have known about this earlier however." Elias blatantly stated.

"We didn't want to be outnumbered and over powered now did we?" Commander Tower threw in his two cents.

Already, the President saw where this was going and stepped in. "Gentlemen, this is to be an orderly gathering to discuss terms of our nation's security. We are not getting off the right foot here."

"I agree. This is to be a diplomatic convention. I don't believe this means we have to hold back however on issues and concerns. Let's open up this discussion to everything which might lead to furthering our understanding of the situation." Bennett said very professional and in conjuncture of President Martin's previous statement.

Commander Tower let out a sigh. "Very well. Shall we begin?" He offered.

"First things first. Lay down what you have and we'll do the same." The President said to King Elias.

"Before I do that however, I wish to ask for an agreement to disclose everything to each other both classified and unclassified. And I mean everything. Past missions, uncovered intel, et cetera. No words will leave this room so we will not reveal any pertinent information to any others but I feel in order to piece the whole picture together, we will have to leave nothing closed." The King gave his proposition.

"I can accommodate to that. Tower? McCoy?" Martin answered after little thought.

"Fine by me." McCoy responded.

"Hold up Mr. President. If we are not to disclose this to anyone outside of this room, how will we relay mission objectives to agents if more intelligence is found and preemptive action is needed? Though I trust the loyalty of my agents, and I'm sure you feel the same about your field operatives," Tower said to Elias, "the thought about each other's might not be the same." He responded, thinking of course about tactics and his operations.

"I'm sure you all are familiar with the Freedom Fighters?" Sir Charles asked hypothetically. "Though they are only a select few of our field operatives, I think it's safe to say we can place full trust that their sense of duty will prevent any maltreatment of sensitive material if they are required for a mission."

"Well than it only seems right to have some of our agents in the same situation as the Freedom Fighters don't you think?" McCoy offered up.

"May I suggest Team Dark?" Commander Tower threw out on the table.

"Team Dark has been known to be on the very edge of diplomatic agreement and international cooperation." Sir Charles pointed out.

"Well thanks to that creep Eggman, Paladin Team crumbled! You want to make a newer, less trained team our primary contact?" The aggressive head of G.U.N. shouted out which began to cause some loud grunts and high tensions in the room.

"May I make a point?" Bennett stood up and said sternly not looking for a response. "All agents of G.U.N and field operatives under the Kingdom of Acorn will remain out of 'the know' about any and all information disclosed here in this meeting." The room dropped silent as this statement seemed to go completely against what they were saying, but they let the council member continue. "There will only be two teams that will be the primary contacts for any sensitive and classified missions dealing with concerns about today's mentioning. If it is understood that The Knothole Freedom Fighters will be one of those teams, I feel we should agree upon Commander Tower's request that Team Dark be the other since they have the most experience and have in the past worked with,"

At this Sir Charles mumbled under his breath, "and against"

"the Freedom Fighters." Bennett finished.

Again, the room fell silent but this time in contemplation about the laid out plan. "And those two teams will know about the other nation's classified and sensitive materials as well?" McCoy asked.

"If and only if they pertinent to a mission they must perform at hand. Now for obvious reasons it would make sense that each team be sent on missions that pertain mostly to their respective nation. We wouldn't want the Freedom Fighters to be doing a mission for G.U.N. and vice versa for Team Dark now would we?" He finished giving a light smile at the end.

The room again was quiet but for a much shorter period of time. Elias would have agreed first off but dealing with some seemingly trusting people in the past only for them to turn against him, such as Geoffrey St. John and at first Amadeus Prower, he waited for the other party to make the call first.

"Sounds like a plan." President Martin agreed, taking the first initiative.

"I too can comply with that. I knew I brought you for a reason Bennett." Elias grinned.

"Thank you sir." The raccoon took his seat again.

"Now that we have that out of the way, shall we begin what we came here to do?" Martin offered. Everyone shook their heads in agreement. "Alright. We will begin I guess. As agreed prior, we have given each other the field reports of the mission at Security Outpost 057. They will be referenced often.

"Prior to Team Dark's run-ins with field operatives at Security Outpost 057, we have been monitoring suspicious activity for months now." Once the President said this statement, Elias' brow flared up slightly in surprise. "Small activity was picked up by some of our satellites about movement around such abandoned Robotnik complexes as Security Outpost 057, a plant in Mercia – which we presume is the one The Chaotix infiltrated because images showed it demolished the very next day – and two other complexes which had activity cropping up within the past few weeks. We have not yet investigated these complexes."

"And what kind of information did you retrieve which initiated your investigation of Security Outpost 057?" Sir Charles asked trying to be very analytical for so they could grasp the full scope of what was going on.

"A number of things." Again, this statement brought discomfort to the Mobian king. "Generally suspicious activity around such abandoned sites was what brought major concern but prior to our infiltration we had intercepted a broken radio transmission from an unknown source. And when I say broken, I mean broken. We've only been able to track the first message we stumbled upon. Once the suspect figured out we were listening to him, he was able to hide his signal very well. This guy is smart and this guy is good." The President explained.

"What was encrypted in that first transmission?" Bennett asked, taking his part in the conference.

"Nothing but a name and an idea." Commander Tower joined in. "Approximately two weeks before we received the anonymous letter about 'research' into the Xorda attacks is when we picked up this signal. From what my men could pick out amongst the fragmented statements and static was communication between two parties. One was addressed as Hook, and the other was not addressed. We could not trace the origin of the signal but its destination was Security Outpost 057."

"What were they talking about? Do you know?" Sir Charles asked.

"Not sure. It was hard to make out what we did but they kept talking about genetics or genealogy or something along those lines. We only got words. Other than communication to an abandoned facility, as stated many times before, we picked up the words 'attack' and 'civilization.' G.U.N. takes actions upon picking up such flash words like these just as a precaution in case our national security is in danger."

"As you should Commander." Elias said a bit more comforted that he knew they had reason for doing what they were doing. But he was still a bit uneasy about how much the U.F. knew, even if it was not a whole lot. "When my field operatives were investigating Security Outpost 057, they made direct communication to the suspect running the facility. He mentioned, according to the reports, that they intruded on his 'library.' He also knew general profiles of my operatives including mentioning Princess Sally Acorn and Miles Prower by name."

"The suspect also said, and I quote," Sir Charles readjusted his glasses and pulled out a small note from the inside of his vest and began reading it. "'I did not expect you [the Acorn field operatives] to pay me a visit. This was intended for your G.U.N. allies but nonetheless your friends will suffer just the same.' This was stated immediately before an army of once stagnant E-Series robots attacked both parties."

"God damn it. It was a trap!" Commander Tower said, throwing his fists on the table feeling dumb for not seeing it before.

"So from what's been discussed," McCoy began to say as he remained quiet most of the time, analyzing what's been said. "We accidentally picked up a transmission between an unknown source and a stand-alone party referred to as Hook who was stationed at Security Outpost 057. From U.F. and G.U.N. intelligence, we concluded that 'Hook' found out we stumbled upon their message and covered up subsequent transmissions and information with skill far above amateur level allowing limited knowledge of these guys. From what was in the reports of both G.U.N. agents and Acorn field operatives this guy's skill and analytical abilities are above professional and even black military level and was able to outsmart G.U.N. and Acorn intelligence and even put the famed Miles 'Tails' Prower at a stop while at Security Outpost 057. Hook also knew we were suspicious and thus lured us to Security Outpost 057 to try and take out our agents. Judging how he did not expect to see Acorn field operatives there, I'm assuming his initial plan was to kill off Team Dark and collapse the building to seem like an accident and to bury his tracks."

"We also assume this guy is the same person behind our issues with our reactor and with the abandoned facility in Mercia. Why would he try to do the same thing twice if he also tried to kill The Chaotix and make it seem like an accident as well?" Sir Charles asked, trying to pick apart McCoy's analysis.

"This was before we knew each other was involved. If everything went to the plan of this Hook character, we would have no idea both events would have occurred if we did not meet at Security Outpost 057. The U.F. would have only known about Security Outpost 057 and Acorn would only know about the plant in Mercia. This convention would never take place." He answered with little thought, showing he had already figured it out.

The room remained silent for a moment in awe at how well this man, whom at first seemed like a random representative to make the numbers even, was able to piece things together. "May I ask who you are Mr. McCoy?" Bennett became a bit curious.

"I am the Speaker of the House of Legislatures of the United Federation." He answered simply.

"We are behind closed doors here, I think we can be a bit more specific." Martin began to say. "Mr. McCoy is," but he was interrupted by the man he was speaking about.

"was"

"Sorry, he has retired. _Was_ our top analyst and investigator for espionage and covert intelligence. As you can see, he can piece things together like a simple puzzle." The President continued to explain.

The room was still silent until Bennett choked up. "In that case, we are glad to have you with us, sir."

"Thank you."

"Now. Explain to us what led you to Security Outpost 057." Commander Tower asked, letting Acorn give their side of event leading up to the encounter.

"Many weeks ago, Nicole, our AI in charge of everything from security and intelligence to general maintenance, picked up readings of abnormal oscillations in a reactor in our Mountain Faction. These were old reactors but they ran on power rings that I set up myself many years back. Power rings are constant in their output so there shouldn't be any reason for anomalies. We sent Sonic Sally and Tails in the Freedom Fighter Special Mark II with Nicole as remote support for the aircraft. Their initial thought was sabotage but they concluded that due to information on the schematics of the system there was a syntax error in the mastercoding." Sir Charles explained.

Elias picked up the rest of the story from there. "However, while at the reactor a fuel line was shut down as a trigger to the corrections made on the reactor. Fortunately that problem was also fixed."

"We are not interested in internal affairs." Tower barged in.

"Patience. This is all important." Bennett said defending the King. He gave Elias a small nod, a signal for him to continue.

"What caused the fuel line shut down was an 'official' Acorn authorization command coming from the plant in Mercia. Whoever set this thing up, which I assume is the same 'Hook' you have been referring to, knew what he was doing. He faked the authorization in order to cover up the act of sabotage on the reactor. We still do not know why he tampered with the reactor. This falsification of official Acorn doctrine was the initial cause for investigation."

"So the disturbance on the reactor was sabotage or was it a syntax error?" McCoy asked trying to clear up the fact.

"My apologies, I should have made that more clear. After further investigation and once uncovering the falsified authorization it was concluded to be sabotage." McCoy nodded his head and rubbed his chin in thought at Elias' statement. He continued. "This person would have succeeded in hiding the authorization but thanks to Rotor, our own council member, he was able to detect it. Since Angel Island was drifting over Mercia at the time, we called upon The Chaotix to investigate the abandoned plant. It was there that things become iffy.

"All in all, the plant in Mercia was a trap. We do not know however if it was set up as a precaution to bury a trail or if whoever set up the trap expected us to be there. While at the plant, The Chaotix picked up two pieces of information. One of them was a file folder of Security Outpost 057 with many words and sentences blacked out. The other piece was a very damaged data disk with a video log dated to 12,000 years ago." At the king's final statement, those representing the U.F. were sent into frenzy.

"Do you expect us to believe a _disk_ 12,000 years old was recovered and analyzed?" Tower blurted out again.

"No, we don't. We don't know where the disk came from but it is much older than the facility it was found in so it must have been placed there." Elias stated as he prepared for the reaction from the others when he told them the age of the disk. "I understand how this sounds but we have the disk safeguarded and preserved in a vacuum back in Sir Charles' lab."

"We have made a recording of what was picked up from the video." Sir Charles said as he clicked a small remote which caused a screen to roll down on the opposite side of the room. A projector lens arose from the top of the table as well. The hedgehog bent down under the table and plugged in a small data storage device into the projector and the video of a Dr. Niven was displayed on the screen. It was exactly what Mighty and Ray saw in the abandoned facility in Mercia. They watched in silence through the man's sobs, through his fragmented speech, and through the point where he killed himself. Once the video was done, he unplugged the data storage device and retracted the projector and screen.

"As you could see from the video, a large section of it, approximately 45 minutes, was cropped out meaning whoever found this video took what they wanted and ditched the rest. Judging by the anonymous messages we both received about the Xorda invasion and this video, we saw an obvious connection. At first we thought the suspect wanted us to retrieve this video but now we are not sure. We can't come to terms that someone as smart as who we're dealing with would simply abandon such a pertinent piece of evidence without even an attempt to discard it. We also first thought that the perpetrator wanted us to know it was an act of sabotage on the reactor due to the authorization but we soon realize this too was improbable since an authorization was needed to disturb the reactor. To be honest, we are stumped as to the perpetrator's intentions on our part." Sir Charles explained thoroughly.

President Martin and Commander Tower turned their heads slightly toward McCoy waiting for a scenario from him. "Hmm…" He said as he rubbed his chin. "I would agree, there is not enough evidence to say whether he intended the Mercia facility to be infiltrated or set up the trap as a precaution in case it did. However, the suspect needed something from the reactor but again without enough evidence we cannot determine what."

"Technicians investigated it after we found the transmission and they reported that nothing had changed." Sir Charles stated.

"I see." McCoy continued to rub his chin. "And you said that the only thing leading you to Security Outpost 057 was the files found?"

"Correct."

"Well one thing is understood. With who we presume is Hook stating to your field operatives in Security Outpost 057 that he did not expect them to be there and the vast amount of luck and chance you picked up files on Security Outpost 057 which happened to be the only lead you had to the outpost, I'm fairly certain the same person behind Security Outpost 057 was behind the abandoned plant in Mercia and thus the sabotage of your reactor."

'I could have told you that.' Sir Charles thought to himself but decided not to say it out load.

"But yes, it bothers me too that the disk was left so carelessly at the plant. I can see why you would think it was left for you to see."

"Do you think that is the case Mr. McCoy?" Bennett asked.

"No. But I can't rule it out yet. It just doesn't make any sense at this point. The other thing – the messages. Whoever we are dealing with has a strong interest in the Xorda's invasions. And has made it clear that we know he is looking into it."

"But why send the messages?" President Martin asked. "It seems if he didn't send those messages, we would not find any of this Xorda mess important."

"You are correct sir. I can't tell you why I think those messages were sent. Maybe, like every mad man, this guy wanted to make a statement." McCoy finished his analysis.

"So what we have is some crazy guy 'researching' an alien invasion of the inhabitants of this planet over twelve thousand years ago and trying to take out our agents in abandoned facilities that he used for his 'research.'" Tower simplified the assumptions.

"Essentially yes." McCoy said with a light smile.

"Except we don't know what Hook is using Security Outpost 057 for or why he sabotaged our reactor. We were completely unfazed by the reactor's disturbances." Bennett pointed out.

"Perhaps Hook did not want Acorn to be involved. I think he mainly wanted this to be between him and the U.F." McCoy stated.

"Then why give us the message too?" Sir Charles asked.

"We're going around in circles here. There is a lot of information we do not know." Elias added.

"One thing we do know. According to the field report of G.U.N.'s and Acorn's operatives at the outpost, we know that place is riddled with hidden passageways and a lot bigger than we thought. That place is like an underground city. That Hook guy only destroyed a small sector of the complex with those E-Series. The worm is still hiding in that hole somewhere." Tower wanted to reassure mostly to make a statement about what the next plan of action should be.

"I'm glad you pointed that out Commander. Why was Hook in control of all those robots?" Elias asked.

"It's very possible that they were left out of commission since the Robotnik days and with this guy being as good as we say he is, he probably was able to reprogram them." Sir Charles said, answering the King's question.

At this time, McCoy leaned over to President Martin's ear and whispered in it. "Let us not mention our warrant for Lien da."

"What? We agreed to disclose all information. I don't like to go against my word." Martin answered back in a similar whisper.

"Trust me sir."

"Something going on over there?" Elias asked as he saw McCoy lean back away from the President and from their secret conversation.

"Nothing. Mr. McCoy was just curious if Lien da has given any information on the situation surrounding her capture and imprisonment in Security Outpost 057." Martin said cooly. McCoy gave him a suspicious glare but saw his question was did not go against his request at all. In fact, it was a good cover up. "Any information she has on this guy and the facility could blow the top on this whole case."

"Lien da has agreed to disclose any information she has to us once she recovers. She was found in a state that our own Chief Surgeon was baffled to find her still living. She is in intensive care and is expected to ready for questioning in about a month." Elias answered the President's question.

"If that concludes the exchange of information, do we have any more leads?" Commander Tower asked ready to continue taking action.

"Unfortunately no. We do not have enough information on Security Outpost 057 to continue missions and operations there. Hook knows we're eventually coming so we don't want him to surprise us again if we go in too soon." President Martin stated.

"Wouldn't now be the best time for a full scale attack then? While he has as little time to prepare as possible? If we wait his defenses are going getting stronger." The military man argued.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take. Once we find out more about this place and about Hook and his objectives, I don't want anything but satellite surveillance and electro and infrared monitoring of the facility." The man ordered.

"I agree. There is nothing we can do at this time. Until Lien da recovers and gives us some important information, we just are waiting." Elias confirmed. "In the meantime, exterior and interior security will be heightened. You say Mr. McCoy that this Hook doesn't want the Kingdom of Acorn involved with his issues. I hope you are right. But if there is anything you need us for, we are allies."

"Thank you." McCoy and Martin said in response to Elias' proclamation.

"So with that, I conclude this convention. Good luck gentlemen." Elias said as he, Sir Charles, and Bennett lined up by the door of the conference room to shake hands with President Martin, Commander Tower, and Mr. McCoy as they left the room.

The secret service of the United Federation followed the trio down the hallway to the right while the secret service of the Kingdom of Acorn followed Elias, Sir Charles, and Bennett down the hallway to the left. The three continued until they reached a side entrance to the building where their limo, issued by the hosting nation that they were in, waited for them to take them to the airstrip so they could go home. The representatives from U.F. did a similar act.

Elias in the limo let out a huge sigh as he let his head go limp and plop hard onto the head rest on the seat behind his head. "Uhhh…Maybe I should retire." Elias said half-jokingly.

"I'm sure Sally wouldn't like that. I think she's gotten used to an easier life since you were crowned King." Sir Charles gave a light chuckle.

"Oh, she'd be pissed. But I can't say I haven't thought about it." Elias continued. He rubbed his eyes and then called in Nicole. "Nicole?"

She was still stationed at the homeland but again, she was able to use her remote abilities almost anywhere. "Yes King Elias?"

"What's the status of the Kingdom. Anything happen while we were in that meeting?" He asked, hoping that an attack of some sort did not take place while they met with G.U.N. and U.F at the convention.

"Status of the Kingdom of Acorn remained nominal. No attempts on cyber or security attacks occurred. No aggressive actions occurred." She responded.

"Have you double checked everything?"

"Triple checked."

"Good. After this meeting, I want to make sure we stay on top of everything." He said, able to relax a bit knowing everything back home was alright.

"There is something you should know however." She spoke up with certain tone.

"And that is?" Elias asked almost dismissing the statement as he really didn't want to deal with anything at the moment. But with her next statement, his head popped off the head rest just as quickly as it was plopped on it.

"During the convention, there was an attempt on Mr. McCoy's life."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's<strong> **Note:**Sorry, it's been forever. Finished my internship like half a week ago and felt like it was time for me to continue with this story.

As usual, it took me a while and I don't think I got it perfect but I think I got it right. Hopefully updates won't be as slow as this one was. Don't have much to say sooo...

Hope you liked it and REVIEW!


	11. Espionage

Before I begin, I want to apologize for the extreme delay in this chapter. I have been super busy to the point where last week, I didn't sleep for three days. I had pretty much the whole day off today before my social at 8 so I figured I'd finish up this chapter as I had almost finished it about a month ago or so. Updates will be very slow as I have been elected Historian for my fraternity, I am PT Commander for SERE trainging club (that's two officer positions) and have taken up research on a Solid Rocket for my school's rocket team as well as involvement in a Navy EOD/SEAL training club. Along side general engineering classes and an off-campus job...

So I now present you with Chapter 11. Enjoy!

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><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 11: Espionage

"So tell me again why you're doing this?" Nicole asked a certain purple chameleon as he was strapping up his boots. Once he finished he got up and moved to a nearby table that had hand wraps lying on it.

"Simple." He began to say as he twirled the wraps snug around his wrist and forearms.

"Well?" The cybernetic lynx persisted.

Espio clenched a fist and flexed his arm to see if the wraps were on securely and comfortably. "If whoever has been behind these strange offenses against the Kingdom of Acorn is going to strike, why not now? The United Federation is involved too so he or they or whoever is probably going to do it when they are all together." Once he was finished fitting himself, he checked to see if he had all his accessories and equipment. "Besides, you were the one who suggested 'hitchhiking' on Elias and the council members' plane." He let out a small smirk.

"As long as you don't almost get caught like last time." She said a bit worried and with arms crossed as she watched Espio get ready. She also kept constantly aware of any outsiders to make sure no one would stumble upon the two in their secret meeting.

"Last time?" He reached down to his ankle to check if his knife was sheathed there but it wasn't. He glanced around the room to see where it was.

"Yeah. When Sonic Sally and Tails were heading to check out that reactor. I think Sonic heard me talking to you. Not only that, I had to hold the door for you to leave AND you bumped into Sally." She walked up to him with a taunting smirk and handed him the knife he was looking for. He smiled and placed it in its proper hold. "Not real stealthy of you ninja." She teased.

"Oh that." He blushed in both response to her humor and slightly in embarrassment. "I was just... staying to… make sure they didn't question you anymore." He said on the spot and in a tone almost like a question.

"Uh huh." She grinned again. "What about The Chaotix?" She asked more seriously.

"Well they're aware of the situation with the U.F. and Acorn as well. What they don't know is Angel Island's leaders got the same 'note' as the other two nations but they just kind of brushed it under the table. I'm afraid they too might receive some surprise play from our 'friend' doing the research." Espio explained, sharing new knowledge that he acquired by the art of his own name. "But The Chaotix have shown full backing of King Elias for whatever they are needed for so that's good."

"I meant what about them and us." She said a bit coy to be thinking of a matter like that when Espio was clearly in the mindset of his self-appointed mission.

"Oh." He said as he took a notice of the shy expression on the lynx's face. He moved over to her and rested a hand on her shoulder, gently rubbing his thumb through her artificial fur. "They've been a bit curious at my absences over the past year but they still trust me." He said truthfully.

"We have been meeting a bit more often in recent times." Nicole agreed.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Espio calmly said with a quirk that the AI did not notice.

"Oh no! I didn't mean it like that!" She said quickly trying to save herself from her last statement.

"I know, I know. But don't worry, we'll be fine."

"Just keep in mind the last time you worked behind their back." She reassured still a bit worried. "I'll be on board the plane, integrated with its systems but there must be NO indication that I am there. Consequences would be just as bad if you were found on onboard as well. That being said, I–"

But she was cut off, "I know. We are not to interact on the transition from here to Soleanna. You act as though I don't know what I am doing." The chameleon said again jokingly.

"I know, I'm just worried. That's all." Her head suddenly and slightly cocked to the side as she picked up a signal of some kind. "Elias, Sir Charles, and Council Member Bennett are getting ready to board their aircraft. You better get moving."

"Got it. Wish me luck." He said then playfully and lightly batted the tuft of hair on top of one of Nicole's ears with a tender smile. The reaction from the sensitive area made her ear twitch and her face blush. Espio then turned away and began to disappear into thin air as he activated his camouflage.

The lynx let out a small sigh once she knew he was gone. "Be careful." She said to suspected empty air.

A short pause. "Like I said, don't worry." She heard him say one last time as she felt what seemed like a peck on her forehead, which brought a smile to the construct's face.

…

"So this will be a short convention then?" Council Member Bennett posed to King Elias as they were walking down the airstrip to their private jet to head out to Soleanna for their meeting with members of the U.F. The invisible Espio made sure he walked right up to them, making sure he wouldn't be closed off from getting on the plane.

"Not much longer than a few hours. Unless President Martin and Commander Tower have more information than we thought they would have." Espio didn't want to listen into their conversation as he promised himself he would not pry on official matters of the state unless he was ordered to in a mission. But this mission was one more of a bodyguard service than anything else. He just had to make sure he wasn't caught.

"I don't suppose they would." Sir Charles chimed in as he too was walking there next to them. "They might know some stuff but I wouldn't think of it that they know a whole lot."

"I hope so." Elias reassured. He had a look of uncertainty on his face. They made it to the plane and followed one by one up the small stairs that acted also as the door of the aircraft, like in any private jet. Espio made sure he was behind everyone so that he could stay out of the way of the intended passengers and their possible positions during the flight.

"Is that everyone sir?" The pilot asked Elias in a slight shout, forgetting he had his headset on.

"Yes Marcus. We're good to go." The king responded. The appointed bodyguards were already on the plane before the three representatives which made it already pretty crammed. The chameleon knew he was probably restrained to the ceiling the entire flight, just so he wouldn't accidentally bump into anyone. But even there, there was a chance that he would.

"Stand clear of door." Marcus ordered as the stairs pivoted up and sealed the opening. The roar of the engines picked up as they were getting ready for takeoff. "I ask you to please remain seated during liftoff." And the plane began taxiing down the runway.

*o*

"Kind of a lot of people for a political event." Bennett said as he viewed the crowd on the three representative's approach to the Grand Palace where the convention was being held.

"Is our normally 'cool and calm' council member getting a little nervous?" Sir Charles said with a bit of a cocky notion to the raccoon. But Bennett just smiled.

"No. I'm just surprised people cared this much about politics."

"All they care about is politics; even if something isn't political, people make it political." Elias stated all too truthfully. "Some things people just need to deal with on their own." He added.

"A bold statement coming from a King." Bennett said directing Sir Charles previous notion toward himself back at Elias.

"Ask any leader and they'll agree." He said with a saddened smile.

"Sounds like to me you're getting tired of it all." Bennett continued with a humorous smile but Sir Charles and Elias didn't smile back, knowing the hidden truth of that statement.

"Can't say I'm not."

They were approaching the palace and Espio figured now would be a good time to take his leave. He didn't want to tag along with the group the entire time; there were other entrances to the building. Not only that, he wanted to scope out the general area too. After he thought about it, he was only there on a hunch anyway.

He broke away from the small pack and carefully made his way into the crowd where he reappeared while he continued to walk through so it would seem as though he was always there and just walking by. After he bypassed the crowd, he got to a higher vantage point to see if there were any anomalies in the area. To the others standing around, he looked like just a simple Mobian watching the scene. He made sure his accessories were concealed as well because that too would draw attention.

He looked up at the palace and began looking for places that he would deem a good staking out position. He looked at corners, protruding points, and statues as those would be general points of interest for any person looking for the best vantage with the best concealment. But he found nothing.

"I hope it stays that way." He said to himself.

His next objective was to get right up to those corners, protrusions, and statues to keep an eye on the area. He walked back down an alley between two buildings. On the other side, the alley led to a small platform by one of the city's many rivers and waterways. He moved underneath one of the bridges where he again threw his camouflage. He climbed up the building wall up to the rooftop. He scoped around and looked at all the rooftops. There were so many in the old and crowded town, city jumping wouldn't be hard here for even armatures.

Espio located the Grand Palace in the distance and began making his way. He knew there would be security all around the building but that didn't matter. He slid past the guards that were stationed on different rooftops as he made his way to his target location. He'd jump from higher rooftops to lower ones, get a good sprint to pick up speed then jump to window and fire escaped. He'd rush up them not even bothering to use the stairs. He just leapt from rail to rail in order to keep his momentum going. Once he'd get to higher rooftops he'd do it all again.

He'd come across larger gaps where he launched a grapple hidden in the clove of his glove. The device made a small 'click' as it extended and attached to its target and he let the winch-like object do its work and fly him through the air. He had to make sure no one was watching while he flung over these large gaps with his hookshot because even though he was invisible, the grapple wasn't.

Once he finally made it to the roof of the Grand Palace he began to look around for anything suspicious, making sure there was nothing out of the ordinary. He casually walked around the roof and found nothing. Just to double check, he made a second circle. By this time the meeting had been in session for quite some time now. He was beginning to like what he was seeing, or lack of what he was seeing. He found one of the higher elevated statues and posted there crouched, waiting, and watching. Nothing.

He sat there for a few more minutes when his ears perked up at a familiar 'click.' He turned to see a still body float across a gap in buildings just as he did a few times on his way over to the palace. "What the…" He mumbled as he moved to try and get a better view seeing as the body was currently obscured by a building. He stopped behind a statue to stay concealed, waiting for the figure to reappear but after about a minute or so, it did not.

"I don't like this." He mumbled again. He had really hoped he would have not run into any action but he was there just in case something would happen so he could not complain. His job now was to not lose whoever was on the rooftops with him.

He took off running toward the direction that he last saw the figure heading. He made it to the edge of the building he was on and made a massive leap to the next building. Once he landed on it, he rolled to mask the loud 'clump' of his landing. He looked around and still found nothing. The building he now stood on had an elevated rooftop toward the center so he began carefully walking up the shingles of the structure making sure he would not slip down. He got to the top and scouted out. Still nothing.

'I swear I saw something.' Espio thought to himself, making sure he would not speak as there were two guards on the very building's roof that he was on. Then suddenly, like a sixth sense, his head snapped around where he saw a small speck about two blocks away, scaling the wall of another building. 'Whoa, he's fast.' He thought again.

He waited for the guards to clear from his path and once they did, he quickly slid down the slanted shingles of the roof then landed his feet on the side carrying his momentum into a leap. He extended his grapple once more and was pulled to the next building. While he was free running to catch up to the suspect, he began thinking. It was a good thing he was there. Not because the guards were in capable but they were too big and bulky to move as stealthily as he. He after all was a trained ninja. A slight bit of nervousness then entered the chameleon's mind. If he was specially trained for espionage and he was able to lose track and fall behind this figure, he and possibly the city might be in trouble. But he kept on moving.

Another thing that bothered him was that the suspect was moving away from the Grand Palace. Espio stopped. "Am I being lured away?" He asked himself aloud.

"To a point." A voice answered behind the still camouflaged ninja but that didn't help as he felt a hard smack across the side of his head. The sudden blow caused him to lose concentration as he fell down flat on the roof and his camouflage disappeared.

"Bad mistake ninja." The voice called out. It was almost a course sounding voice but slightly higher pitched than the normal adult. He turned and saw a hooded figure. He could not tell if it was Mobian or human but the size seemed to resemble Mobian more than that of an adult human. The assailant pulled out two small batons and immediately threw one down as if in an attempt to stab Espio while he was flat on his back. Espio luckily rolled to the side and spun to get back on his feet. He caught a quick glance of the baton still in the hands of the attacker while electrical sparks spewed out of it onto the roof where the chameleon lied just moments before. But the observation did not last long as the hooded figure was quick to attack again.

The figure threw himself in Espio's direction where the purple ninja quickly dodged and pulled out a star to throw in defense. He tossed it but the assailant was just as quick and ducked down as the metallic disk spun over his head. Without stopping the momentum and in the same movement as his dodge, he dove at Espio and pinned him on the ground. His forearm was on his neck as it dug into it choke him all the while holding him down.

"I can see you're trained, but conventional skills are no use." The figure's voice sounded like a simple clearing would have made it better but the chameleon was not focused on the voice, rather than the words being said. "Only those taught by nature and instinct can win this fight."

"Why do the… bad guy's always… like to… talk?" Espio said with great effort as his windpipe was being choke profusely at the time. But to finish his statement, he swung his tail around and slammed the small spikes that were on it into his mugger. It did not do much but it was enough to throw off the enemy enough for Espio to bring a foot in and kick him off. He quickly got up and coughed a bit before he could regain his stature. But the aggressor was already back on his feet ready for the next blow. The ends of the batons flickered in electrical splendor as they were being swung around Espio in attempts to hit the dodging chameleon.

The two continued to spare until finally the hooded figure landed a piercing blow. The baton fused to Espio's chest and sent a multitude of electrical volts coursing through his body. He let out a blood piercing shriek as he was being tased. The hooded figure slowly pulled the baton away from Espio's chest as he, still feeling the shock of the electrical surge running through his body, remained in capable of muscle control so he limply fell face down.

"Do not bother me any more in my efforts. I'm on a strict schedule." The hooded figure said as he casually moved to the edge of the rooftop they were sparing on.

"Are…" Espio tried to say. "Are… you, alone?"

There was a pause from the foe. "You think my objective could not be carried out by a single person?... I'm insulted." And with that, he leapt to the next roof and made his way back to the Grand Palace.

Espio tried his best to move even the slightest muscles just a few inches but all he could do was barely tremble and shake. His still head watched as the inevitable approach by this hooded figure was made on the Grand Palace. But he wasn't ready to give up just yet. And he sure as hell wasn't ready for whatever this guy's 'objective' was to be carried out.

After fighting the pain for a good while, he continued to try and get up. He slowly got up to his knees whilst using his hands to help prop him up. The electrical surges were slowly settling in his body. He got up to his feet and staggered a bit to remain balanced. He looked off in the distance, attempting to focus his blurry vision. He saw the figure swiftly move around the rooftops like a natural as he got closer and closer to the Grand Palace.

He took a few deep breathes, knowing what he had to do, then began trekking toward the palace. He knew he was not in the situation to do another one on one fight like that again so he had to be extra careful in making sure he was not seen. He still didn't know how he was seen last time. He was effectively lured away from the palace while he was in full camouflage. A stunt he didn't think was possible. Somehow the figure knew he was there the whole time.

Espio figured he couldn't approach from the rooftops again, he'd be somehow be caught again. The streets would be the best bet. He cautiously climbed down from the rooftop as he still was not as agile after that stunning. He activated his camo and began running toward the Grand Palace.

He approached many crowds in the city but evading contact with them was a breeze now that he was not limited to the narrow alleyways and rooftops of the surrounding buildings. He bolted through the streets, still invisible as running like that would definitely draw attention, and made his way to the Grand Palace relatively quickly.

He came up to a neighboring building and scaled the wall. Made it to the roof where he saw all the guards detained. He was not sure if they were dead or simply unconscious but time was of the essence, he could not hang around to find out.

He looked up at the roof of the grand palace and saw the suspect making his way to a certain side. As the hooded figure turned his head, Espio saw a quick glimpse of red dots where his eyes should be. It only lasted half a second while the enemy's head turned around but that was a good thing because that meant he was still not seen by the assailant. At first, the sight it startled him but then he realized they were probably infrared goggles, which explains how he was seen even in full camouflage. He had to be really careful now.

The enemy trailed away from view and Espio slowly followed him. He made sure he was just barely in his sight because that means if the figure quickly turned around, he was just barely in his and could hide quickly.

Suddenly, the hooded figure jumped onto a building right behind the Grand Palace. Espio could tell what he was doing just by the way he was just sitting there and scanning the wall of the Grand Palace. He was looking for the heat traces of those in the meeting. He was looking for the opportunity to strike one of them down. Espio watched as the figure stopped as he caught glimpse of the convening party.

The assassin prepared himself as he slowly and steadily pulled out what looked like a small hand gun of some sort. Fearing he was about to do the deed he was set out to perform, Espio quickly drew a throwing knife and flung it in the hooded figure's direction. He had to move quickly because he knew how serious assassins worked. He was already on his way to the enemy's position when the knife grazed the assassin's hand. He dropped the gun. But a small injury like that won't stop him from finishing the job. He knew of that. The assassin turned and saw Espio make his rapid approach and was instantly struck by the chameleon.

Espio first had to get rid of the taser-like batons. He frantically grabbed for the enemy's waist line while he collapse on him and they both fell to the ground. He got a grip on a utility belt and ripped it off the hooded assailant and discarded it off the roof to ensure he couldn't get it back. The enemy rolled and kicked the purple ninja off of him and immediately went on the offensive. In his rapid response, the enemy threw a quick kick to the discombobulated chameleon. He was too fast for Espio, especially as he still was sore from the stunning not too long prior.

But again, Espio was not ready to give up. He knew how to get to this guy, all he had to do was to find his weaknesses. He tried to get to the infrared goggles. He lunged for the face but was quickly blocked. He tried to go for a trip but his sparring partner beat him to that as well.

"Why do you bother? This does not concern you, filthy reptile." The man said as he ducked under another one of Espio's fists, spun to position himself by the kidney of his enemy and jabbed his elbow into the ninja's side with tremendous force.

"Gah!" Espio shouted and fell to the ground. Some people in the alleyway between the buildings they were fighting on top of heard the shout and looked up to see the two.

"Weakling." The hooded figure said as he drove his foot into the downed animal's side like a strong punt. The chameleon could only lie there for a few seconds to recuperate. He had to do something. He rolled over and threw three ninja stars to the hooded man in rapid succession. The man dodged the first two but was struck by the third one.

He let out a small grunt, then clenched his pain as he pulled out the star that only had a small trickle of blood on it, like it hardly pierced him. "Luckily I came prepared." He said referring most likely to some armor he was wearing as he gently rubbed the slight wound made by the star. But he looked around and couldn't see Espio. Even with his infrared. He must have moved out of sight. Instantly, he turned to find Espio standing behind him with a fist drawn back. And just like that, the goggles he was wearing shattered in his face by the blunt force of Espio's fist.

"Find me now, bastard." He said, forgetting his ways of Zen and staying calm in a fight, and instantly turning invisible.

The crowd looking on the two grew slightly bigger as guards were being called in by the civilian onlookers.

The assassin threw off the broken goggles and stayed stationary for the chameleon's next blow. He waited patiently, listening to the steps of Espio's boots, to both his own and his enemy's breaths, to the chatter of the people on the streets below. Suddenly, he heard nothing. He quickly ducked and spun his feet around in a 360 motion to make sure he'd trip the chameleon ninja. He heard a clunk as Espio hit the ground and quickly dove to where he heard it. But unknown to him, Espio rolled as soon as he went down. He got up and threw a foot in the hooded aggressor's side just as he did not too long ago.

"I'm not through with you yet." He said as he pulled the back of his cloak and threw him down from his knees to his back. The enemy had the wind knocked out of him. It was Espio's time to make a final blow. He raised his elbow to throw it down onto the enemy's chest, but the assassin quickly felt around Espio's feet, as he still couldn't see him, and pulled the knife from Espio's boot. He slung it and sliced the calf of the chameleon which caused him to fall instantly. The assassin quickly got up. As Espio lied on the rooftop with chilling pain, slowly unveiling himself as he did not have the focus in his current state to remain hidden in his camouflage, the assassin stood over him.

"Again, you cannot win against instinct. I thought you animals and beast had plenty of that but I guess not." The assassin's attention was caught by the guards coming rushing toward the building on the street below. "They're here for us. Good thing I can run away. I wish I could say the same for you." He bent down to Espio's ear and whispered. "Soon you vermin will be all be but a memory." He stood up and began to calmly walk away. "Too bad you wouldn't let me kill McCoy. His skills and previous knowledge makes our effort…troublesome." And just like that, he was like a shadow in the night. Gone from view, he made his escape.

"Over there!" Espio heard a shout from the ground below. They were coming for him. He had to get out of there. He tried to stand up but quickly found out that was not possible with the cut he sustained in his leg.

"Must…leave…" He muttered to himself in self-motivation. He focused on turning invisible again but knew he was going to leave a trail of blood. He would be quickly found. He grabbed his hand wrapped and began to unravel them. He tightly fastened them to his calf knowing they would only temporarily hold off the dripping trail of blood that was to ensure. But that was alright, all he needed was to have the guards lose his trail.

He finished fastening them when he heard them climbing up a fire escape to the roof. It was too late to leave. He crawled to the opposite corner of the roof and climbed on top of an air conditioning unit to make sure no one would bump into him while they walked around the rooftop. Just as he did, they arrived.

"I don't see anyone. They left." One of the guards said.

"Stick around and look for any evidence or a lead or something." The other said. "We'll get an investigator up here as soon as we can so we can find these guys. The civilians on the ground said they held weapons, probably an assassination attempt."

"Sir, found something."

Espio held his breath, taking the slightest inhales when he needed too. He watched as one of the guards moved over to where Espio's blood was resting in a small puddle on the other side of the building.

"Definitely something." The guard said. Espio felt the blood drip down his leg. It was already beginning to seep through his makeshift bandage. He had to get out of there.

Suddenly, there was a 'clunk'. "Did you hear that?" The two guards snapped to as they both heard indication of another presence on the rooftop. They moved to the other side of the building where they thought it originated from, and looked down into the alley. Nothing. "Come on, let's call it in. We need some forensics done."

All the while, Espio was starring merely half a foot from the faces of the guards as they peered over the edge of the building. He was using his tongue as a tether to an exhaust pipe as he leaned off the edge of the building with his feet as a pivot and his body angled at 45 degrees from the rooftop. Once the guards turned away, he retracted his tongue and threw his legs back so he could fall down while being straight up. He used his hands to grasp the edge of the roof as he fell and let himself dangle there for a moment. He then began his descent down the side of the building.

"Nicole…." He said, again telling himself what he had to do. "Must get in contact with Nicole."

He pushed through the pain and worked his way through the city streets. Every block felt like a mile on his injured leg. He could hardly stand. On numerous occasions, he collapsed onto his knees to rest from the pain. Panting heavily, he wondered how no bystanders heard him, or questioned the small trail of blood he was leaving. If he wanted to get back onto the plane to get back home, he knew he had to cover up that trail somehow.

He came up to a newspaper stand and waited for someone to put fifty cents in to unlock it. Once the customer grabbed the newspaper, Espio quickly halted the door before it shut and thus locked again, and took an issue. He scooted on his hands to the side of the walkway and began wrapping his leg in the thick absorbent paper. He made sure they were tight and close to his skin because if they weren't his active camo wouldn't conceal the papers. A floating batch of newspapers wasn't a common sight and he really couldn't afford to be discovered.

He trekked on and with the blood and sweat from the desperate effort he took to get back to the airstrip where the King's plane was camped made him feel like he was fighting for his life. He got to the plane which luckily had the stairs down as the guard for the private jet was radioed that the King and council members had made it to their limo.

He crawled up the stairs and made it onboard. He moved far into the cabin so that the guard outside couldn't hear him or see him and he appeared and called for help. "Nicole!" He quietly shouted. "Nicole!"

In a green splendor, the AI pixilated into existence. "Oh my goodness, Espio!" She nearly shrieked when she saw the sight.

"Shhh! I need you to do something." He said, still on a mission but she ignored his request.

"Not now, you need help!" She said fully worried at this point as she was on the ground next to him, looking him over.

"No!" Espio grabbed the lynx's forearm. "Listen." He said. But she was persistent.

"In a minute." She closed her eyes and placed her hand on his bloody calf. Espio felt a stinging sensation in the wound and had to bite his tongue to keep from making a noise. "I placed some of my nanites to clot the wound for the time being. They should hold until you get some real medical attention back in Acorn.

Espio let out an enduring smile. "Thanks." He said softly and consoling.

She smiled back. "Now what is it you need me to do?"

Espio quickly snapped back into it. "Right. Get in contact with the convoy. Let them know, there was an assassination attempt on McCoy."

"What?!" She asked.

"Exactly what I told you. Inform them of the attack. He was not identified with either party, Acorn, UF, no one. He wasn't Mobian either. He wore a hood and cloak so his identity was not identified. The guards have civilian accounts of his and my sighting. I don't think I was identified." He explained.

Nicole gasped and cupped her mouth. "Espio." She said in soft concern.

"Don't worry about me, tell the King and council members. Tell them you found all this out. I was never here." He said.

Nicole remained knelt down next to Espio on the cabin floor. She let out a smile. "You got it." Espio smiled back and leaned his head back in final relaxation. Nicole moved back to Espio's weary head and gave him a lavish kiss. "Hang in there ninja boy." And she disappeared into the system to remotely access the limo at King Elias' sudden request.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

Don't have much to say other than what's already been said. Slow updates and all that. Also, I wanted to wait on (officially) revealing the thing between Espio and Nicole but I assumed you all already guessed that anyway.

***SIDE NOTE: PLEASE READ QUICK NOTE AT BEGINNING OF CHAPTER 1 AT THIS POINT*** I don't want to lose any readers for dumb reasons...

Please Review!


	12. Up to Par & Closure

First off, YAY UPDATE! See, I told you I'd have time once the semester is done. I'll try to whip out as much as I can during the break because next semester is going to be even worse than this past one so my updates might be even more slow...

**Author's Note:** This chapter has been broken up into two different parts. The reason is because I felt the second part of this chapter differed too much from the first part for them to be put in the same pot but they each were too short (in my opinion at least) to make them two separate chapters. It is clear where the chapter is broken up so if you wish to take a break or come back later to read the second half you can do so and obviously find where it is.

Hope you enjoy it and as always REVIEW! Seriously, it's been a while since I've paid attention to my stories so let me know if I've slipped somewhere or if I could improve or something.

* * *

><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 12.1: Up to Par

*Knock* *Knock* "Enter." A single command was given in response to the pounds at the door, simply requesting entry.

The door creaked open and a slightly taller than average echidna covered in proper dress robes that denoted his class walked into the average sized office. "Matriarch Saren-ca." The echidna said with a bow and a greeting.

"Ah yes, Councilor Wynmacher. What can I help you with?" The mostly green and teal echidna woman responded from behind her desk on the other side of the room. The large window behind the desk let a generous amount of light into the room which illuminated the large bookcases that lined the side walls.

"I wish to discuss the issue between what's going on with the rest of the world." He said almost cryptic yet his stern tone gave away his confidence in asking for the discussion.

Saren-ca looked up and gave him a solid look, knowing exactly what he meant and quite honestly was personally tired of addressing the subject to the Great Council she presided over. "What do you mean?" She responded with a slightly less chipper tone that she started off with when the male echidna first entered the room.

"I do believe you know what it is that I mean." He paused his speech while he moved closer to the Matriarch's desk to sit in the chair opposite of the desk's owner. As he moved down onto the chair, he looked at the Matriarch at the same eye level. "As you know, you placed me in charge of internal affairs. Well the UF and the Kingdom of Acorn has been harping us for input in this matter that the entire globe is referring to as the _Research Affair_."

"How, may I ask Councilor, does that constitute as 'internal' affairs?" The Matriarch quickly snapped to try and cut the man short of the inevitable rant that she knew was coming.

"It most certainly does not constitute as internal affairs. But I'm afraid the note you received many weeks ago, the same note that the leaders of the UF and Acorn received, does fall under internal affairs since as you told the council, you do not know if it came from an external source." He explained.

"You also remember me saying there was nothing hinted in that note about threats to national security or the wellbeing of our race correct?" Saren-ca answered back dryly. The tapping of her fingers was only one more piece of evidence that she was not enjoying this conversation.

"I very well do ma'am. But if you have read the reports, watched the news, and even spoken to the other world leaders which I'm sure you have, you would understand that they believed the same thing – that these notes were non-threatening despite their ransom like nature. But it turns out that these nations have had hostile attacks including an assassination attempt on a government official, all related to these 'notes.'" The passion in Wynmacher's voice was beginning to be heard, much to Saren-ca's dismay. "The leaders of the UF and of the Kingdom of Acorn already declared this an emergency two weeks ago at the Convention of Soleanna, that you were invited to attend!"

"We have had a history of staying secluded in our own world and culture, not meddling into the affairs of those around us. This does not concern us so why –" But she was interrupted by the answer to her question before she could even ask it.

"Because it is only a matter of time before it does concern us. Before we're attacked likewise. And yes, that DOES fall under internal affairs. I feel something is coming – and when it does, I will say we now are not prepared for it." He stated slamming a verbal fist on the table as the emphasis in his tone was just as strong as if he actually slammed his fists down on the cherrywood desk that rested in front of him.

As much as Saren-ca didn't want to ask, she felt like she was cornered to do so even if it was to find another rebuke for herself. "What do you think we should do about this then?" She responded near snobbishly.

"Well first, make it aware to both Acorn and the United Federation that we are in the same boat as them along these lines of 'Research.' I cannot emphasize enough how that single word alone scares me. Once collaboration between the Echdina nation, Acorn, and the UF begins then we can take steps toward finding out more about the issue and help them in finding out what is going on before any harm is done to the citizens, not just government agents and officials." He said openheartedly, hoping his words were actually making a difference to the stuck up Matriarch.

"Let me remind you Councilor that we currently are rebuilding not just our society, not just our nation, but our entire population. We have been on the merge of extinction far too much to pay any attention to the problems of others. Both the UF and the Kingdom of Acorn understand our stance on international affairs. If we do not have a reason to get involved, we will not get involved." Saren-ca said as she slightly stood out of her chair with both hands pushing down on the desk, leaning forward to get closer to the bold red echidna before her.

Wynmacher just squinted in detest. "Maybe the reason for our near extinction has been our exclusion from the outside world."

Saren-ca was taken back for a moment. She jerked her head to the side slightly with a huff and a disbelieving half grin. Her reaction turned immediately into skeptical humor at the situation. "Wynmacher. I am the Matriarch here. I have overseen the reconstruction of both Albion and Angel Island since your wife was removed from Matriarch for 'poor leadership and managerial skills'. I have done too much for our species for you to sit here and tell me how to run my nation. I don't know if this is mere spite or a delusion of yours that there is seriously something wrong here. But let me tell you this, I will not conform to this 'scare' until we have a serious threat on our hands." She retorted behind squinted eyes. "Now let Councilor Garner handle external affairs. He is in charge of that anyway." She sat back down to look over the papers she was reviewing before he walked into the room.

"When we do have a serious threat on our hands, you will not see me in office. If you accuse me of doing my job right now, how do you expect me to do it when I'm needed." The brash echidna said as he too stood up and turned toward the door. "You have a good day Matriarch Saren-ca." And with that, he made his leave.

*o*

It was slightly cloudy outside on Angel Island. The floating landmass often travelled through storm fronts much quicker than the stationary ground several thousand feet below the island and their rain only lasts a few minutes at most. The clouds would soon go away like the rain before it but the aftermath was still present. A small open field, partially shaded by the shrine of the Master Emerald - casting a green glow from the sun if standing in the right position, was still muddy from the quick down pour that just occurred even as the sun was already emerging from behind the fluffy white floating bodies around.

"Scrruuuummmm!" A very rough and tomboyish pink echidna shouted out with elation and a slight chuckle as she ran over to a large green crocodile and a smaller, yet stronger, red echidna nearly butting heads while having their arms and shoulders locked. Immediately, herself, two armadillos, and a chameleon joined in the struggle. Obviously it was not a proper scrum seeing as they did not have enough players but sure enough, the group of six were able to get the first line in and formed in a huddle fighting to push each other around.

A few seconds later, the feet shuffled around the ellipsoid ball and it was sent through the back of the scrum where immediately Charmy swooped down and picked it up. The scrum broke up and the game continued. Julie su found it particularly funny that Vector, after turning out of the scrum, slipped on the muddy ground and fell right on his face.

The lot of them was covered in mud from the game but they didn't care; that was half the fun in it, getting dirty. Charmy quickly threw the ball behind him into Knuckles' grasp where he continued to run forward. He saw Mighty ahead of him, ready to hit him with a full tackle but something clipped the Guardian's feet while he was running. He fell down and the slippery leather ball flew from his grip and into the hands of a now reappearing chameleon. "Grr, I said no cloaking!" Knuckles shouted out at the chameleon as he quickly got up from off his face to join the game.

Espio, knowing he could not run very well still, lateralled it to Vector who immediately was tackled by a small green armadillo. A dog pile soon ensured. Everyone but Charmy, Saffron, and Espio joined in as those three were likely to get severely damaged if they attempted. From the bottom, squirmed Julie su with the ball in hand. Knuckles helped her get out of the pile and she took off for the goal line.

"That's right!" She shouted as she threw the muddy ball on the group, whipping some of the dirt from her face with the back of her hand. Which did not help much seeing as her hand was just as if not even more dirty and a now larger streak of mud was smeared across her face.

"That was awesome." Knuckles simply said, panting to catch his breath from the recent intensity. Matilda and Charmy came over as well to greet the entire team. They all high fived on their recent score.

"Water break everyone?" Knuckles called out. The slightly downed other team grumbled in agreement. They all went over where they had water bottles and sat down.

They took a few swigs of their water and sat in recuperation. The chameleon was readjusting the bandage on his calf from the injury that occurred nearly two week previous. He obviously did not disclose the true nature surrounding the injury but instead said it happened after he dropped a knife during a training exercise of his.

"I'm surprised you even agreed to play today Espy." Mighty said with a still chipper yet curious tone of voice.

"Well, I haven't been able to do much. I think that scrum did more than I had hoped it did." He said a little disappointed as he massaged the muscle in his calf. "I think I'm out for the day. I just want to be safe." He said, getting up with a slight limp as he took a step to turn around toward the others.

"I wouldn't mind calling it a game anyway." Knuckles said giving his two cents and getting off the ground all the same.

"Of course you wouldn't. You just scored! Come on, one more go!" Vector said arguably.

"I think I'm done too." Julie su said as she too stood up and proceeded to wrap an arm around the waist of her partner to which Knuckles quickly responded by performing the same action. The mud on each of them just rubbed and smeared on each other even more.

Matilda was pulling clumps of mud out from behind her shell as she felt the same way. "I need a shower."

"Oh come on!" Vector shouted in dismay.

"Sorry man, majority wins." Mighty said as he too got up. Charmy and Saffron were already flying around mindless of the crocodile's wishes.

"Damn majority…" The green menace grumbled under his breath.

…

Knuckles walked out of the bathroom as he rubbed a towel through his dreadlocks trying to dry them. Julie su was there in the adjoining room of Knuckles' old cave and home, now shared between the two of them, picking at her hair with her fingers while looking in the mirror. She didn't often tend to her appearance but it was evident that the thick mud from the rugby game earlier made the purple bangs of hers flail a lot more than they normally do.

"Heard anything from Elias about Lien da yet?" Knuckles asked, throwing the towel on the end of a towel rack once he felt his dreads were thoroughly dry.

Julie su let out a sigh. "No."

"You're not worried about her are you?" Knuckles said more in surprise than concern.

"No. I just am a little shaken up about it. That's all." She explained, turning away from the mirror thinking her hair was a lost cause for the time being.

"How so?" Knuckles asked as he sat down on the bed and began putting on a different, dryer pair of shoes.

"Well…" She said semi-rolling her eyes. She moved over and sat on the end of the bed next to the red echidna. "She was a major ally to Eggman all those years ago, almost his right hand man at a few points."

"Yeah?" Knuckles said, moving from buckling up one shoe to start on the other.

"Major enemy to the Kingdom of Acorn and the rest of the free world and not to mention how she betrayed her own people." She continued to explain.

"Yeah, I got that." Knuckles continued to drive her to finish her thought.

"Well if she was such an enemy to us and such an ally to Eggman. What kind of foe are we dealing with to do to her what was done to her? We must be dealing with someone who could be even worse than Eggman if he is both against us and her."

The Guardian sat in contemplation for a short pause. "I never thought of it that way…" He said admittingly. "Well UF and Acorn has something going toward this investigation at least. I'm sure they'll find something out. I'm just more concerned that we don't have some kind of attack here like Acorn and the UF has had."

"Yeah, that too." Julie su agreed. "It bothers me that we haven't done anything to help the UF or the Kingdom of Acorn."

"Well as I've told Elias, The Chaotix is independent. We help whoever needs it. So if Acorn has us do something for the safety of their people, we'll sure as hell do it! Besides, no one has really been interested in the Master Emerald since Eggman and Finitevus ate the big one. It's good to actually DO something for once." He said with a light chuckle.

"You would, wouldn't you." Julie su said, giving his shoulders a slight shove.

Her laugh was contagious as it transferred over to the tough male sitting next to her. "What?" He snickered back.

*o*

"So you think these two facilities are somehow connected to this 'Hook' guy?" Elias said to a television set with a familiar ally's head and upper torso facing and looking back at the king. The room was dark and only illuminated by the buzz and glow of the monitor that was the link between the two in this conference call.

"Like I explained in Soleanna, we have been monitoring four facilities that have been identified as abandoned Robotnik facilities that have had increased movement in the past couple months. You are familiar with two of them but these two I have just showed you, we still don't have a lot of information on. Immediately after the convention, I had teams working on figuring out what is the story with these places. We've gathered sufficient enough information on one of them to where we think we can move in and investigate." Commander Tower explained.

"Well what kind of 'information?' I don't want what happened at Security Outpost 057 to happen again." Elias expressed the concern for the safety of his team.

"We have learned that it has been receiving shipments of biological chemicals via train. From satellite images," Tower leaned forward a bit where Elias saw him type something in to the computer he stood in front of right before the screen changed from his moving body to a few greyscale birds-eye-view images of an old building. "the facility had only minor activity as of about a week ago." The picture on the screen changed and now a railcar was clearly present next to the building. "This was taken a few days ago. We identified the VIN on that train," again the image changed but instead now, it zoomed in on the train. It was pixelated for a short second before it focused to where a few numbers and letters were written in succession on part of the train. "and ran it through our DOT systems. Its cargo was a special bio-carbonate used by our hospitals to restore Mobian flesh for burn victims. Unfortunately, we could not find out who had purchased the material or who sold it. The trail was very well covered." The image on the screen switched back to Commander Tower.

"And you're sure this is something to do with our 'Hook'?" Elias asked, rubbing his chin.

"We traced the rail track and a section of it forks off to head into the desert. The tracks disappear into a train house about 50 miles from our favorite little desert hideout; Security Outpost 057. I have no doubt this is connected to the guy we're looking for." The man explained.

"Damn…What could this guy want with regenerate materials?" Elias asked quite concerned as it seemed like such an abnormal thing to deal with.

"That's what we'd like to find out. Any dealings with any biological materials obviously brings great concerns to us here at G.U.N. and in the UF."

"As it should. Do you have a team planned for insertion?" Elias asked.

"Actually, the facility in question lies under Acorn's sphere of influence. That is why I am telling this to you. I think you and the Freedom Fighters will have this job. I wish to further brief you on the subject so your team is well prepared for their mission."

"What would be their mission? I'm afraid reconnaissance and intelligence gathering is not something I feel comfortable with since unlike Security Outpost 057, we know this place is hostile beforehand. We got lucky then Commander; the skill of both our teams saved their tails but now we know we are up against something and we still don't know what." Elias explained to the monitor as it still was the only source of light in the dark room he was pacing in.

"…" There was a pause on the Commander's end. "We do not know the nature of this Hook's motives. 'Research,' cover-ups, both unintended and intentional traps for both our operatives, assassination attempts…" The large man let out a sigh. "This guy is doing something that he does not want us to be part of. With the kind of information we have now, which isn't much, this guy is not even close to being a threat compared to previous foes we've dealt with. But I feel this the more we dig, the more we will find that we have a serious issue on our hands. And you cannot dig without getting your hands dirty."

"What about Security Outpost 057? There is still a huge portion of that that remains hidden and unexplored. What if this facility is more than it appears to be as well?" Elias was questionable about sending the Freedom Fighters into hostile territory again.

"We do not have that determined." Tower sorrowfully replied knowing that would not help his case.

Elias turned away with his back toward the television monitor, just to think some more. He finally turned back around. "I will have the demographics of the area pulled up to see if there would be hints of underground disturbances."

"So do we have a plan? I feel the longer we wait with this matter, he will catch on that we have eyes on this place and set us up for failure again." Tower explained.

"I understand your concern. And if anything at Security Outpost 057 told us, this guy knows a lot more than we think he does and is probably already one step ahead of us…again." He responded cautious in thought yet stern in tone.

"Well?..."

Elias let out a heavy sigh as he dropped his head down for only a short moment. "Give me some time to sleep on it and I will have an answer for you tomorrow….I really don't feel comfortable about sending the Freedom Fighters in blind, again, but you and I share the same fears and hunches. I fear this may turn into something bigger than it currently is."

"I'll wait for your word." Tower complied with surprising cooperation.

"Oh." Elias quickly added before either one of them could start their salutations, knowing the conference call was dwindling down. "Forgive my arrogance but I wished to ask earlier, how is Mr. McCoy doing?" He questioned, forgetting to ask about the concern sooner.

"He is doing well. He immediately went into investigating his own assassination attempt! The crazy bastard." The large and older man said with a light chuckle. "I offered to have someone else investigate it so he wouldn't have to deal with it but he…is not affected by simple trauma." He then took a little more serious note. "We appreciate your concern and thanks for hearing me out on this. I hope you make the right decision on this opportunity we have in front of us."

"Thank you Commander, I wish the same thing. Elias out."

He clicked a button on the bottom of the monitor which terminated the call. The television was still on but a lot more dim now that there was nothing being transmitted through it. The dark room fell to even more blackness. Elias sat down and threw his hands on his face, gently massaging it as they moved up and down.

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><p>This is the chapter break I was talking about. Feel free to either continue reading or to pause and finish it later because like I said these two parts are quite different. The last part was kind of storyplot oriented and was kind of a recap of what is going on and what is to come next while this next part is... well not. It's about Mina and her side plot.

Still though and regardless, I hope you enjoy and again REVIEW!

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><p>...<p>

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Still a Need for Heroes

Chapter 12.2: Closure

"Hey, I've got some Chinese if you want some." Amy said as she popped her head into the doorway of the guest bedroom that Mina has been occupying for a few weeks now. In that time, Sonic Amy Tails and Sally moved all of Mina's stuff out of her old house with Ash and into Amy's place. Despite most of her stuff still resided in boxes in Amy's crawlspace, she was making the hedgehog's guest room as much as home as she could.

The songoose was lying belly down and feet up, scribbling some words on a piece of paper. As Amy took a quick glance around, she figured she was writing some more song lyrics – as she has done a lot lately – judging by the balls of crumbled papers on the floor and the scratched out words on the paper she was currently working on. "Alright! Be down in a sec." She said pretty chipper without giving Amy a single look or secondary acknowledgement.

It was not long before Mina came down the stairs and joined Amy at the small dining table. The hedgehog decided not to wait for her, not knowing how long she'd take, so she already began eating.

"Sweet. I'm starving." Mina said as she scooped some rice and chicken onto a plate. She had been songwriting for so long and had been so focused she didn't even realize the stature of her hunger. It has been a while since her and Ash's break-up and she was in a better mood but as soon as the topic was brought up she was thrown back into a sad heartened state.

"So said you were going to confront Ash soon. Made any progress yet?" Amy asked just before throwing another piece of chicken in her mouth.

"He stopped calling…"

"Good. About time that no good cheat stopped bothering you." Amy said more sincere than Mina probably had wanted her to be.

"Well it's just…" Mina dropper her utensils and looked to the side a bit.

"What?"

"I'd hoped he'd call one more time so I can finalize this whole deal…" She said slightly embaressed.

Amy just looked at her with a slightly confused expression. "Why don't you just go to his house? I would think doing that kind of thing in person would be best anyway." She said while twirling her utensils around, fully mixing the rice and chicken around her dish. She finished with placing more food in her mouth.

"Well…" Mina started doing the same thing with her utensils as Amy had just done but she did it out of nervousness. "I'm kind of…scared to…"

"Why?" But Amy quickly caught on, or at least she thought she did. "Do you think he'll hit you?" Amy's eyes grew wide. "Mina! Has Ash ever hit you?!"

"NO!" Mina shouted almost insulted herself. "He wouldn't think of doing that!" She said truthfully. Her expression changed quickly from rebuking back to her previous shyness. "I'm just…I'm afraid of confronting him…"

"Well it needs to be done. Come on, I'll go with you." The pink hedgehog got up and took her plate to the frig.

"Right now?!" Mina said with a jolt. Her utensil wielding arms dropped lifelessly to the top of the table and her face shone with shock.

"Well yeah! Better sooner than later." Amy's disembodied voice could be heard in the nearby kitchen. "Let's tear this band-aid off already!"

Mina's face dropped as she sunk in her chair a little bit. "Well there's no way in persuading this women with anything. Might as well not fight it." She closed her eyes and got up from her chair. "Fine!" She shouted so Amy could hear her.

…

"…What do I say?" Mina asked Amy as they walked down her street, not even far from Amy's house yet.

"Say what you feel like saying. He's probably going to try to beg for forgiveness." She started to say.

"…Do I give it to him?" Mina asked a little hesitant. Amy looked at her dumbfounded. In all honesty though, she didn't know. Her instinct and personal opinion would have shouted 'NO!' immediately but Mina really cared for this guy; Amy almost wished there was still hope for the two because as much as she didn't want to say it, they were perfect for each other.

"You know…I don't know. I would say no but…I've never been in this situation before. Hypothetically, if you had the option to take him back, would you?" Amy asked as the two continued walking.

"I've thought about it. And I really don't know." Mina said with much uncertainty. But suddenly she thought of something. "Hey Amy, can we go the long way? Around the lake?" She immediately thought of Tails; he has been in a similar situation before and could shed some light on the subject. She didn't want to directly tell Amy it was so that they'd swing by Tails' workshop because she knew he didn't talk a lot about the whole ordeal with Fiona and wanted to respect his privacy on the matters not knowing how much Amy knew on the subject.

"Sure. Give you a little more time to think and prepare right?" Amy smiled as the two stopped their trek.

Mina smiled back. "Right." They changed directions and began heading toward the lake.

It wasn't long before they reached it and walked down the path on the side of it. Tails' workshop could be seen not too far off. She only hoped he would be there, otherwise she was right back at square one.

She began to play different scenarios in her head on how the confrontation between her and Ash might go. She imagined him being real sappy and apologetic. She even thought what it'd be like if he was on his knees begging. An unlikely sight she assumed. She imagined another scenario where they broke out in a fight and they didn't get the closure she was really hoping for. Another fictional outcome she devised in her head was that everything would go perfectly. She wouldn't have to decide whether to take him back if the opportunity presented itself, there was no aggressive shouting between the other, and they even gave the faintest of smiles as they said their goodbyes. But she snapped back to reality as this was not a simple mutual break up. This was something much worse. There was no perfect outcome for something like this she realized.

By now they were up by Tails' workshop. She peered in to see the main garage door closed. Her heart sank like a rock in water. She hoped he could give her just a little advice; even a little comfort maybe. He had been surprisingly good at comforting over the past few weeks and really could use his strength right now, she thought. But the workshop was stagnant. The lights inside the single window next to the regular door entrance were dark and both doors were closed. She and Amy kept walking as Mina was the only one even taking note of Tails' workshop. She turned around to look at the steel garage like building with one last hope. There she saw the main door slowly swing open and a tall two tails fox leave the building with a small satchel hanging from his right shoulder.

"Hey! It's Tails!" Mina said as she broke away from Amy and started walking toward the vulpine's direction. Amy just stopped and slowly watched Mina walk away in slight confusion on the sudden change in orientation and focus. "Tails!" She shouted out one more time. The fox was in amongst locking the main door when his ears twitched at the sound of his name being called. He turned around to see Mina walking toward him with Amy standing as a silhouette in the background.

"Oh hey Mina. What are you doing over here?" He asked as she came up to him. The little bit of excitement she had faded away into slight embarrassment again.

"Well, umm… I was wondering if I could ask you something."

Tails lightly set down the bag that was pulling down on his shoulder. "Sure. What is it?" He was a bit unsure how to react judging by her nervousness.

"Well…Amy and I are heading over to my old place so I can finally end things with Ash…"

"Great! 'Bout time too." Tails said with a light chuckle and soft humor. Mina smiled back but Tails saw past it. "Something wrong?"

"Well… I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well…" Mina kind of got a little closer to Tails just to secure their conversation a little more. "I want some advice…from someone who's felt this kind of rejection before." She explained.

"Oh… You know Mina, Fiona was a looong time ago. It's a little different. Umm, did you ask Amy? You know her and Sonic–" But he was cut off.

"It's not the same thing…" She really could use some help at that point and Tails could see it.

"What do you want me to do?" He saw the silhouette behind Mina start moving their direction.

"What do I say? What if we start fighting and I don't get what I came for?...What if he asks for me back…" Her eyes drifted toward the ground as her feet slightly and subconsciously started rolling back and forth. A tear started to form in her eye.

Tails snuggly gripped one of her shoulders with his hand. "Listen. You're a smart girl. The ball is in your court on this one. Play it as you seem fit. The conversation will play its self out and you just have to go with it. And if he asks for forgiveness, ask yourself 'Does someone who really loves me hurt me like he did and cover this thing up for as long as he did?' Then make your decision; it's your decision not mine. Just make the right one." Mina slowly looked up at the fox with innocent eyes. "Alright?" He finished with a half a smile.

She smiled back. "Alright." Then jumped up and hugged him. He wasn't really expecting it and slowly raised his hand and placed it on her back in due time. She broke the embrace and stepped back with the same nervous look. "Just one more thing…" Tails eyebrow twitched which gave the mongoose enough of a signal to continue. "If you had the opportunity to have Fiona, maybe not now but way back then, right after she…"

"Slapped the shit out of me and spat on my pride and self-esteem?" Tails said a bit sour and monotone complimented with a blank expression as he finished her train of thought.

She let out a nervous huff. "Hehe, umm yeah… would you take her back?"

Tails looked at her with slight pity. She really was living through a lot of uncertainty right now wasn't she? He looked up and saw Amy was almost on them. He thought back a few years to try and answer Mina's question but after some thought, he only came up with one answer. "I really don't know."

"Dang girl, you rehearsing a speech or something? I thought you were just saying hi." Amy said as she came up behind Mina.

Mina was a little disappointed in Tails' answer. It didn't really help in anyway. But she took what he said before to heart and did feel a bit better about confronting Ash. "Well Tails, if you don't mind, can you come with us too? I think I need as much support as I can get."

Tails gave a humble smile. "Sure thing." He picked up his bag and the three of them continued walking.

…

The house stood in front of her like a dreadful storm that was inevitably going to hit. "I don't know if I can do it…" She said with a bit of fear in her voice.

"Oh come on, we didn't come all this way for nothing!" Amy shouted.

"Yeah, don't worry. We're right here." Tails said encouraging her as well.

"Alright." She took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Here it goes."

A few knocks were heard on the door and slowly but surely a yellow mongoose came up to the door. He was a bit surprised to see her and his face showed it. "M-Mina, what are you doing here?"

"Can we talk?" She said shyly.

Ash looked back at the two standing on the sidewalk in front of the house and figured what this was about. "Sure. Come inside." He said, not wanting Amy and Tails to pry on their talk.

Mina constantly was fiddling her fingers around each other as she made her way to the couch and sat down. Ash sat next to her. "So, what is it?" He asked her.

"Well." But that was all she could come up with. She froze. She didn't know what to say and she didn't even realize her mouth was half gapping open.

"I think I should start…" Ash said quite lowly. Mina remembered what Tails had said about the going with the conversation. All she could do was nod her head in agreement. "I don't know what went over me… A while ago, I talked with my older brother and we got on the conversation of… the marriage. And go figure my brother started talking about how he couldn't stand only one girl for the rest of his life…I guess I just got scared."

"Scared? Of having to love me forever? Ash, that's something you should have thought of before you proposed to me!" She said in retribution a little more taken back with his comment than she probably should have been.

"I know. But…" His eyes dropped down.

"But what? I can't tell you how scared I was about this whole thing. Getting married is a huge commitment and with all that stress and this tour that's coming up, you think I wasn't scared too?" She admitted truthfully. She paused with a desperate glare hanging on what words might come out of his mouth next. But the longer she stared the more she realized he wasn't going to say anything. "Ash, if you were scared, you should have talked to me. I know you don't like to talk but you've done it before and in worse situations. I didn't talk to you about it because I knew I had my fears under control. If you were afraid something like this would happen, why didn't you tell me?"

"I…I don't know." He said not wanting to admit to her what he was only afraid was true.

"Ash, when you love someone, like I thought you did me, you don't hurt someone like this." Mina was surprised about what she was saying. Only a couple of sentences ago she was frozen and couldn't even squeak. Now she was speaking her mind with all the wisdom and philosophy that came with it.

"I did love you! I still do!" He shouted in response to her last statement.

"Cheating only tells me you didn't." She said standing her ground. The air was silent for a bit. Mina noticed Ash's head drop down. She never saw him cry – he was too much for that, or so he constantly told her. But it struck a chord when she saw two small droplets of salty water fall from somewhere behind his droopy bangs and land making small hole-punch sized marks on the couch seat.

"I was trying to hold on… I waited for your call for weeks. It was simple…but I couldn't explain it." He looked up to her and the tears she saw now retreated to simple glazed eyes and a broken smile. "I'm sinking and I don't know why." He moved his glasses up his nose as they slid down his face only slightly when he dropped his head. "I believe everything you say. It's just another perfect day for me."

Mina dropped at that statement. She knew exactly what that phrase meant to him and to her. Her heart was torn. Half of her wanted to run out of the house never to see him again because of what he did to her and the other half wanted to stay there and hold the crying child that now sat in front of her. "Ash…" She sighed.

"Oh who am I kidding! You're probably all better and happy now aren't you?" He said throwing his arm back behind him.

"What?" Despite how she knew anger often followed when Ash was like this, she was still taken back.

"You've probably already moved on. Probably to that little fox boy out there huh? Am I right? I can kick his ass, you know that right?" He said starting to get heated.

"Are you serious?!" Now it was Mina's turn to get angry. "What the hell is going on in that little head of yours? You were my everything for nearly seven years! Took you long enough to even propose to me and when you did it was the happiest day of my life! You think that after YOU cheat on ME that I could just move on like that?" She said getting up from the couch and yelling in return. Ash just looked away. "Not only that, that guy's a Freedom Fighter. Badniks and army's couldn't touch him, you think you have a chance?"

"Then why are you defending him so much huh?" The male now stood up too.

"Because he's been more of a friend to me in the past few weeks than I ever imagined. You were supposed to be my friend until the end of time and you go and sleep with some harem of yours. Look at you!" She threw her hand, pointed in his direction and gave him the 'knife-hands.' "We started off great when I came here. I was willing to take you back but not so much after this little fit of yours."

The two stared at each other huffing with fumes coming from their nostrils and yet not even budging to open their mouths to breath. Their heavy breathing slowed down over the staring contest and finally Ash fell back down on the couch and rested his head on his fist. "Look at us…" He mumbled. "A few weeks ago we were getting married. Now look at us."

"There is only one person to blame for that." She said still a bit angry. Ash didn't move. After a short pause she too fell down on to the couch. She pulled her legs up and curled them by her hips close enough to even be sitting on them while the balls of her feet dangled off the couch. "Look. I want to accept a simple apology and move on but I honestly don't know if I can do that. I want what we had to continue but I don't know if that will happen. I came here for one of two things and I'm starting to think neither are in sight." She explained.

"I…agree." He said still motionless as his eyes were fixed on some imaginary objects pulling him into a trance. "I don't think we can have what we had ever again." He said solemnly. He wanted to admit that it was all his fault and that he screwed up but that wouldn't do anything but give him pity and he knew he didn't deserve it.

"Just tell me you're sorry and… and maybe we can make it work?" Mina said with her eyes becoming too watery for her to see clearly and her voice was beginning to shake.

"I am sorry. I am very sorry and I regret this thing more than anything…" Mina's ears perked up at his statement. A small shot of hope ran over her face but it did not last long. "But…" She sat there bracing for what may come next. "I don't want to hurt you again."

"No, Ash…" She calmly and quietly cried out as she extended an arm to rest on his but he pulled away.

"I've thought for a while now after not getting in touch with you since the incident. I'm moving away. Heading back home and going to be living with my brother for a while. He wanted me to manage his band he's starting up."

"No…" She said under her breath. She didn't know why she was feeling so hurt right now. She came with the intentions of ending it but now she saw her wanting him while he ended it for her. Deep down she knew she wanted it all to end and to move on but on the surface, she felt her emotions get the best of her as all she wanted was to feel loved again.

"I wish the best for you and 'The Knots.' Good luck on your tour and… take care." He wanted to say more as he stood up from the couch for one final time but he wasn't much for emotions; maybe that was his downfall. He walked away up the stairs to his room as Mina sat on the couch in both sorrow and disbelief.

"Goodbye Ash…" She said one final time.

…

"Well?" Amy said as Mina approached her and Tails as they still stood out on the sidewalk outside the house. "How did it go? Feel any better?" She asked.

"Honestly…" She sniffled. "I feel worse than when I came in."


	13. Train Job

**Author's Note: **Like I said, trying to do some quick updates before the semester starts again.

As a heads up, THIS TAKES PLACE BEFORE CHAPTER 12! Just wanted to make sure that was clear. It will be apparent as to which part of chapter 12 it refers too. Honestly, I wish I would have thought of this chapter before I was working on Chapter 12 but after my long absence with writing, I myself needed a chapter to kind of 'catch-up' with what was going on (hence the title, "Up to Par" - ahh, little hidden something in there wasn't it :P).

Last thing I wanted to say before the chapter started was the beginning part (before they get to the gate) I tried to make it resemble a 'level' or 'act' in an actual Sonic game. I hope that was apparent and in all honesty the first time I tried something like that so I hope it was good.

Enjoy and Review! - Oh! and I also just found out I can respond to reviews! (Insert Slowpoke meme) So I'll be doing that too more if I feel the need to.

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><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 13: Train Job

[Mission Brief: …]

[…15:53 Day 173…]

[Background Information: Class Green Shipment departed from Lanza Shipping Registration at 18:37 Day 169. Registration, clear. ETA at Garnish Distributing Checkpoint 23:17 Day 169. Did not arrive. DOT System states cargo of lumber. System hacked. Class Green Shipment missing. VIN for cargo: LS294. Suspect – Hook. Investigative lead hints to G.U.N. Shipment Railyard: Gonzales.]

[Objective: Infiltrate G.U.N. Shipment Railyard at Gonzales. Locate missing Class Green Shipment. Identify cargo. Leave shipment untouched. Allow shipment to continue forward to final destination.]

[Objective guidelines: Remain covert from hostiles and suspects. Gonzales – completely mechanized railyard. Clearance to destroy any G.U.N. automated defense systems. NOT clear to harm any G.U.N. personnel possibly at site.]

[End Mission Brief: …]

…

Rouge kept looking over the small data feeds that ran through her visor that covered her left eye. She was pretty focused on her missions and often made double even triple checks about the mission objectives so that everything went smoothly. Of course she never let that show, presenting herself as her normal gaudy and eccentric attitude.

Working for G.U.N. for so long, she kind of knew how things worked. Class Green Shipment meant it was of some biological nature. And the fact that they were to leave the shipment to progress to its final destination was so they could track it and get a step ahead of this 'Hook' guy. Of course they knew this missing shipment was connected to Hook. It was made clear by the numerous computer buzzards who worked with Homeland Security and the whole DOT registration system that only someone really skilled could hack into their system to change the cargo class. Half of them were probably just trying to save their own ass, Rouge thought but she digressed.

"We're approaching the LZ." The pilot of a small transport aircraft radioed into the team. Rouge sat on one side of the transport hold of the aircraft and Shadow on the other. Omega was tucked up near the front. The vehicle could clearly transport an entire squad, judging by the five or six open seats to the left and right of Rouge and Shadow but this transport's only job was to get Team Dark into their point of infiltration.

As they could feel the aircraft turning and slowing down, they knew their journey was coming to a close. They heard a loud clanking followed by a rush of slight depressurization as the back door slowly moved down as it transformed into a ramp. They felt the rush of outside air come in and had to close their eyes for a mere half a second just to keep them comfortable from the sudden gust. Rouge and Shadow casually stepped off the back door/ramp and onto a platform. They made way as Omega rolled out on his rollers. Once he was clear from the aircraft he mode changed into his normal walking stance.

They stood on top of a loading tower with similar towers nearby. The rocky and desert ground far beneath them reflected the mid-day sun and also gave them a little perspective on their elevation. Shadow and Rouge looked over across the way to see that the Gonzales Railyard was quite a distance away still, sitting on the side of a cliff. "Hey, what gives? Is this the closest you can get us?" Rouge radioed over to the pilot as she pressed in on the bug in her ear.

"Sorry ma'am. Commander's orders. You're going to have to make the rest of the trek on foot. Hawkeye out." The pilot said as she gave her call sign before signaling out. The back of the aircraft slowly started to close again as the bird took off back in the direction it came from.

"Damn. I wish he would have said something to us." Rouge mumbled.

"Maybe the old man just wanted us to have some fun?" Shadow said with a deviant grin as he looked at the path in front of them, littered with G.U.N. defense robots and long turns and straightaways. "We are clear to destroy as much of these things as we want." He said matter-of-factly with only a hint of emphasis, showing a little too much excitement for Shadow's standards.

"I don't think that just gives us free reign." Rouge argued.

"Simulated route for access to Gonzales Railyard indicate 98% failure rate if G.U.N. defense robots remain unscathed." Omega blurted out as his calculations and statistical computer mind went into effect.

"See." Shadow taunted Rouge with a dry notion. "Now come on. We have a mission to finish." And without a moment's hesitation, the hedgehog leaped off the platform to land on neighboring tower which conveniently had a steep decline on one side. Instantly he began gliding down the hill with his hover shoes. Rouge sighed, jumped and took flight behind him. Omega fired his boosters to make it to the tower then activated his rollers again in pursuit of the bat and hedgehog in front of him.

As the three zoomed down the decline, it curved and leveled out to a long bridge about a quarter of the way down the tower. They continued moving, keeping their momentum at pretty staggering speeds. But suddenly their progression was stopped as three G.U.N. 'hoverguns,' as they were called, swopped down in front of them. Shadow quickly jumped up into a black and red ball and busted through them one by one in rapid succession. He landed with one foot back and the palm of his right hand flat on the ground just as an extra brace as scrap metal pieces fell from the once functional defense bots.

"Had your fun yet?" Rouge asked.

"Oh I'm just getting started." He said and he was off again, speeding down the length of the bridge as if his hover shoes were high speed skates. Rouge and Omega trailed him.

With every walker, hovergun, or sentry they came across, Shadow either busted through them, Rouge flew up and kicked through them with her steel toed boots, or Omega unloaded a few rounds in them to make sure they wouldn't have the slightest chance of slowing the trio down.

"I'm a bit surprised no alarm has sounded yet." Rouge stated in slight perplexity.

"Hook probably already disabled it when he made preparations for his package to arrive." The dark hedgehog concluded as they got ready to move again.

Seeing as the place was entirely mechanized, it was most likely that the long straightaways, slopes, and tracks were for transporting cargo and materials to the complex. Even speed boosts were around probably to ensure the transporting cargo would make the trek in a timely manner. They used all of this to their advantage.

Speeding through, they made it to about halfway when they caught a snag. "Great. Now where do we go?" Rouge asked hypothetically as there was no single clear route to Gonzales at their point.

They heard some clanks and looked up to see five walkers fall and surround them. "Stop your progression or prepare to be fired upon." Their mechanical voices sounded simultaneously as the gun that was attached to each of their arms were pointing at them.

"Not just yet." Shadow said as he initiated the assault. He jumped up into a ball and threw himself at one of the bots. The other four began firing at Omega and Rouge. But the bat too was well at evasion and glided through the fray with concentrated ease. Omega could allow to take a few hits and simply stood there as he began to return fire on the walkers. He quickly tore through one of them and began moving onto the next.

Shadow tried to bounce on the initial bot he threw himself at but it was holding some sort of shield which was just causing the hedgehog to bounce off the foe in his own recoil. "Damn thing." He said as he changed his tactic. He instead began to run around the thing quickly. Once he saw he was ahead of the robot's trackers, he leapt up and jumped on the robots back. He threw his fist into the soft wiring of the walker's neck-like region, grabbed what he could and ripped them out all in one fluid motion. Sparks flew past his face as he squinted one eye in reflex as the bot he was riding fell to the ground.

Meanwhile, Rouge quickly flew around three of the bots. In amongst her flying, Omega had already destroyed his first one and shot at the next in line which was already being distracted by the bat. It quickly fell which left two. As Rouge was flying, she flew behind one of the walkers while the other one continued to fire, causing friendly fire to take down another one. Now only one remained. Instantly the team swarmed it. Omega began firing upon it while Shadow jumped up in a ball above the thing. Rouge made her way toward it as well and once Omega's sensors saw Shadow and Rouge getting close, he stopped firing. The thing was pretty unstable from Omega's attack but Rouge busting through the thing's chest and Shadow falling right down on top of it was a sure finisher.

They stopped to catch their breath for a second from the sudden assault before contemplating their next course of action. "It looks like we might have to split up for now." Rouge said as she rubbed her chin and starred at the obstacles in front of her.

"Why do you say that?" Shadow inquired.

"Well really we have two options. I see a rail where you can grind on and I see a small passageway I can fly through." She explained, pointing at the respective possible routes.

"What about Omega?" Shadow asked.

The robot examined the wall in front of him. "Scanners indicate room on other side of steel wall. Possible route if wall is demolished." His monotone robot vocals echoed.

"Alright, now that that's settled... We can regroup once we get closer to Gonzales." Rouge said as her wings began to flap, lightly lifting her off the ground. Shadow dashed over to the rail, jumped into a flip and landed right on it and began sliding down.

Omega's shoulders popped up to reveal four sockets on each side, armed with rockets. "Awaiting agents to clear blast range." He said, telling Rouge that once she was out of the way and down her path, he would start taking down the wall. She flew through the small passageway and continued on. Shortly after, she heard a loud crash and explosion.

…

It may have been a while since Shadow grinded with his hover shoes but he got the hang of it quickly. Sparks flew from behind him as he sped down the rails. Hopping from rail to rail to avoid dropping down to certain death from that height, he moved with both grace and agility. Loops, turns, ups and down, he continued to move through them with urgency.

He'd find himself landing on a platform with two or three hoverguns aiming right at him. But unfazed, he jumped up and blasted through them. He sprinted over to a speed boost which took him sailing through the air. Completely unnecessary but Shadow felt compelled to twist around in the air as if he was showing off his acrobatic skills in some extreme sport competition, but alas he was doing it just for fun. He conveniently landed on another rail system and with the momentum from his recent flight, he was zooming again.

As he moved down the rails, twisting and turning as the rails took him in every direction, he saw not too far off in the distance a black and white bat making her way through her own conduit. He then looked forward to see the final destination of Team Dark. A large heavy door was sealed at the juncture of the end of the three paths.

…

Rouge continued flying through her small passageway until it opened up to a larger alley like channel. She landed on a platform and began taking flight again. Soaring from one platform to another, she traversed the alley with ease. At the end of the alley it turned off but before she could make it there, a small cannon hidden on the opposite wall fired at her. Luckily, it barely missed. But as her luck quickly faded, it signaled other cannons to open fire.

She found herself fluttering through a barrage of cannon fire dodging the explosive bombs that were being hoisted toward her. She made her way down the way and landed on a wall. Clinging to it for a moment, she plotted out her attack. She looked up the wall she was hanging from and saw a cannon above her. She was out of its range of fire so she easily climbed up the wall and jumped the inanimate object. She kicked out one of the ball bearings allowing it to rotate and took control of the device. She moved it around to her desired targets and as it mindlessly fired, she took out opposing cannons one by one. However, because of her current position, she couldn't take out all the cannons so she decided to move on.

Jumping from the small enclave in the wall where the cannon sat, she glided around dodging the assault that was going on around her. Finally she made it to the turn off at the end of the alley way and continued to fly to clear air. She saw a quick glance of something moving very quickly on the other end of the large path-like structures and soon found it to be Shadow speeding down the rails. She looked ahead and saw a large door that he was heading toward.

Suddenly she heard another loud crash and turned to see Omega breaking through another wall. He fired his boosters and landed on a speed boost which launched him in the direction of the same door Shadow was heading toward.

…

Shadow made a final leap from the rail he was grinding on and landed right in front of the heavy door as planned. Soon, Omega made his crashing entrance as he slammed into the ground with his heavy legs leaving dents in the platform they were standing on. Not too long after, Rouge flew up and gently touched down making the rendezvous complete.

"Well here we are. Gonzales. Now how do we get through that door?" Shadow asked.

"I don't think it would be wise if Omega blew through it…" Rouge pondered.

"No. If Hook is in there, he'd surely know we'd have made our entrance. From here we stay under the radar." The hedgehog intellectually concluded.

And in their stunned pondering, the door suddenly flung open. The three threw on their guards instantly, ready for another attack but after a short while nothing arose from the other side of the door.

"Our tech guys were able to do some safe cracking for you guys. Make the entrance a little easier." The three heard Tower communicate to them through their ear pieces, or in Omega's case his radio transmitter. "That's about all we can do from here. We've gotten access to the camera system inside Gonzales. We'll be monitoring you but just in case Hook has eyes on the place as well, we're going to temporary disable nearby cameras when you come into view so he won't see you there. Best of luck team. Tower out."

"Alright. Remember, we cannot let Hook know we're here." Rouge said reassuring them as if Tower's previous statement did not make that clear enough. "Let's complete our mission then get out of here."

The three slowly moved into the dark railyard. It looked almost abandoned but since it was entirely mechanized, it did not need a lot of artificial lighting. As they let their eyes readjust to the darkness, they saw that they were in a large cylindrical building with train houses on multiple floors. The center turntable in the middle would rise up to the level of the train that was to depart next and then lowered back down to attach to the respective track before sending it on its way. And with that demographic observation, it was apparent that there was not only their train somewhere in the facility but many others as well. They would have to scout out and track their train first.

"The train's VIN is LS294." Rouge proclaimed.

"Rouge, start looking form the top. I'll take the middle section and Omega, check the trains on the lower level." Shadow ordered as if it was his turn as team lead. But the bat didn't argue and cautiously took off toward the top level to begin her scouting.

Shadow found two pillars that sat close to each other. He jumped up in between them and leaped from the side of one pillar to the side of the other then back to the first one as he zig-zagged his way up to the second level. He too began looking around. Omega was already in the process of investigating his level since he did not need any crazy tactic to get where he was going.

"Radio in when you find the train. We can regroup at the vehicle to get the proper identification on the cargo." Rouge whispered through her headset to the ears of her other two members.

Shadow moved around slowly, glancing at the trains as he passed them. Each VIN he identified was completely off from the last, obvious that this railyard had distributions to and from all around.

Rouge did the same thing on her level, just looking around, hoping that she would come across the right train.

Omega had a lot easier time searching as he often just looked across the large open warehouse of trains and zoomed in his optical system to get visuals on the VINS. But he didn't come across any. "No train identified LS294 on first level." He said silently as he digitally created the radio signal to Rouge and Shadow so his words would not be heard by anyone else that could be nearby.

"I'm not seeing it either. Do you think Hook could have changed the VIN in the system as well?" Rouge said a bit curious as to where their objective was.

"I asked Tower about that before we left. He was sure we got the number right." Shadow responded.

Suddenly, a loud mechanized sound reverberated through the still air of the facility as the gears and hydraulics of the center turntable began to move. "What's going on?" The hedgehog asked, not being able to see the moving centerpiece.

"Looks like we got a shipment leaving." Rouge answered back. She paused a bit before adding to the statement. "It's stopping on your level Shadow!"

"Is it our train?" He asked as he threw a fist back behind him ready to move instantly if he needed to.

"Not sure." Rouge said as she stood near the edge of the top level looking down at the center turn table as a train slowly moved onto it. "The VIN is on the other side of the train. I can't tell from my vantage."

Shadow let out a grunt. Quickly he moved toward the train on his level that moved onto the turntable. He moved over and climbed on top of it. Sure enough the VIN was clearly of that train they were looking for, 'LS294'

"It's our train." He radioed over. "Trying to make an escape I see." He then mumbled under his breath. The turntable began to lower as Shadow still hung on top of the train.

"Quick! Get a sample of the cargo before it leaves!" Rouge hastily commanded.

"It's going to take some time. Looks like we're going for a ride." Shadow said more blatantly than humorously.

"Shadow wait!" That was all Rouge could get out before the train showed signs of departure. "No!" She jumped down and landed on one of the train's platforms. And just as she did, the train took off with tremendous initial speed, leaving Omega behind. "Dammit." She said, slamming a fist down while using her other hand to hang on for dear life. The same hand that smacked the landing she was clinging to moved to her ear where she pushed in the communication system she had planted there. "Tower, come in. Shadow and I are on the train. It made a rapid departure from Gonzales. Omega is left at the railyard."

"Understood. Did you get a sample of the cargo?" He asked in response.

"Negative. Working on it now." Shadow chimed in through his own radio.

"Well make it quick. We're tracking it as we speak and it's heading toward Acorn territory. I don't want any international disputes. Get the sample before it hits the border. That's final. Tower out."

The train sped off so quickly, Rouge and Shadow couldn't keep their balance at first. Rouge still straddled the platform she was on. Shadow was up near the engine. He was positioned between a protrusion of sorts probably from the actual engine portion and was able to maintain his position during the rapid departure. He slowly hoisted himself up to a position where he felt able to move while maintaining stability on the fast moving train.

"Rouge, where are you on the train?" Shadow radioed over to her.

"Uh." She grunted. "Not sure. I landed on some platform part. I don't know how close I am to the cargo hold."

"I'm near the engine. Make your way forward. One of us is going to get there first." The hedgehog finished. He looked around to see where he could possibly travel to without being violently thrown off the wild runaway vehicle. He saw a small crevice where he could shimmy to the top to travel down the roof of the vehicle. He made his way forward just hoping when he got to the roof the strong winds wouldn't blow him away.

Rouge on the other hand was having a tough time just staying mounted on the train. She moved her arm forward to grab on to another hold, a hook used to clamp cargo down on the vacant platform. She grabbed it and hoisted herself forward. She did the same for the next hook as she made her way to the front of the platform. As she did so, she felt the winds decreasing as she approached the next car in the train as it was creating a natural wind blocker for the empty platform behind it. She got to a point where she could finally stand up and moved with her back to the next train, thinking of where to go next.

"Oh…I did not want to have to do this." She spoke to herself as she looked up to the roof of the next car. She tucked her wings in tight to avoid catching any drag and began to climb to the roof. Once she got there, she felt the wind more powerful than ever as now nothing was blocking her. She saw Shadow in the far distance making the same trek.

"Damn thing." The hedgehog mumbled as he was down on all fours just to make sure he had a constant grip on the fast moving train. He managed to crawl to the next car where he saw a small hatch from the roof. He slowly reached for it to ensure he kept his stability. Suddenly he slipped. He found himself straddling the small portion of the train he was clinging to just to make sure he wouldn't fall off. He looked to his right and saw the ground zooming past him. An impact like that would hurt mighty badly he presumed. He reached for the hatch again and was able to open it. He slid into it and landed inside one of the train cars with a 'thud' as he hit the floor.

Standing up and brushing off his shoulders, he moved on. The calm of the inside of the car was now an abnormality along with the fact that he could even hear his own thoughts now that the rushing winds were not hurtling past him. "Now to find that cargo."

"Halt!"

Shadow slowly turned around to see some kind of large figure pointing him down with a long protrusion. It was dark inside the train car and he couldn't exactly tell what it was but the highly computerized voice of the figure told him it was some mechanoid leaving that protrusion to probably be a gun of some sort. "Rouge?" He simply asked over his COM link.

"Uh." She grunted on the other side of his radio, still fumbling around on the outside. "What is it? Did you find the cargo?"

"Negative. Is there supposed to be enemy resistance onboard the train?" He asked as the robot continued to hoist its gun forward. It was rambling off some preprogrammed warning but the hedgehog wasn't paying attention to it.

"No, I, uh… if anything there might be G.U.N. defenses. That's generally the case, WHOA!..." Shadow stood in silence to wait for her to continue… or not. "…Uh, generally the case with Class Green Shipments. Why?" She finished her initial statement after a while.

Immediately the hedgehog transformed into a black and red ball. He threw himself at the robot causing it to crumble into pieces. "Shadow?!" Rouge called out.

"I'm fine." He responded before ending the conversation. He looked around at the wreckage of the robot and figured he'd have to get rid of it somehow. If Hook or whoever was to retrieve this cargo and they found a disembodied defense bot on their train they'd probably think something was up. Better no bot then only parts of one.

He picked up the pieces one by one and dragged them to one of the side doors. Some of the pieces took a bit of effort from the smaller Mobian but he managed to form a pile of the rubble next to the large door. He moved to the door and tried to thrust it open but in his attempt, he only had it budge a few inches. He repositioned himself to get better torque and leverage then tried again; a few more inches. But he knew he could inch his way to open it. "Ahhh!" He shouted as he was using all his strength to open the door. After a few more inches of the door sliding, it flung open instantly as if it was jammed at first.

Shadow felt the rush of air enter the train now. He shielded his face from the bite that occurred in the instant, then moved behind the pile of rubble and began pushing it out.

Not too far down the train was the bat-thief getting slightly closer to the cargo car as time passed. "Rouge, have you or Shadow made it to the cargo hold yet?" She heard Tower come in over her COM link.

"Sorry sir. We're almost there." She said slightly squinting from the high winds that were abrasively hitting her face.

"Well hurry up. You're approaching Acorn sanctions. ETA, three minutes." He answered back a bit hastily.

Rouge grunted again, still taking all her effort to stay attached to the train and not fly off as it sped through the desert. "We'll get there." She reassured him and continued moving.

Suddenly she heard a loud 'bang.' She looked around to see any signs of the origin of the crash. 'What was that?' She thought. Suddenly, she saw large pieces of metal being flung in her direction. "Ah!" She shouted as she saw, in the split second of their release, their trajectory and they were heading straight toward her. In simple reflex, she let go of the holds she was hanging onto and began to fly back in the wind. But before she left the vicinity of the train completely, she grabbed hold to a bar that was on the back end of the car she took so long to travel to the front of. Instantly, she jumped back down to the platform she was originally on and hid behind the next car as she did before, protected by the wind and whatever scrap metal was flying at her. She looked up to see it fly above her and onto either the next car, the ground to the sides of the train, or even farther down the platform she was standing on.

Her face scrunched together in anger at her near impact with the debris. "Shadow, what in great Aurora is going on up there?!" She shouted. "I just had steel trying to hit me in the face!"

"Just had to get rid of some trash." He calmly responded which only had Rouge roll her eyes in response. She started climbing the train again to continue the trek to the cargo hold.

Shadow got behind the door in order to close it. Generally pushing something was much easier than pulling so the door slammed closed much easier than it opened. He turned to the back of the car he was in and saw a door, most likely leading to the next car. As he walked up to it, he saw a sign that clearly stated, 'Cargo Hold.'

"About damn time." He mumbled and opened the door. What he saw was numerous crates with an all too familiar biohazard indication on them. "This must be the shipment." He stated the obvious and got to work.

He opened up one of the crates to see numerous sealed tanks. He cracked one open, making sure he'd be able to seal it back up when he had to make his departure. "Shadow, one minute until we hit Acorn sanctions. Do you have the sample?" Rouge blurted out loudly, trying to overcome the background noise of the speedy train.

"Working on it." He said monotone.

"Shadow!" She yelled back.

"We can spare some distance into Acorn territory. Not going to affect either of us." He responded as he continued to do his job. He pulled out a small vile and attached it to a small electronic box. He scooped up some of the material into the vile and attached the vile to the box. A few lights flashed as a probe shot from the box into the liquid in the vile. It was just a few seconds more before the sample was taken. He detached the vile and emptied its contents back into the main tank. He sealed the tank and closed up the crate. "Sample retrieved." He radioed over to Rouge.

"Great. Now can we get the hell of this thing?" She impatiently asked him, still clinging onto the roof of the speedy train.

"What the hell are you two doing? You've passed into Acorn territory and our indicators say you still are on that train!" Tower angrily shouted into both agent's ears.

"We're making out leave now sir." Shadow said sternly.

"Did you get the sample?"

"We did." Shadow climbed out of interior of the train through the same way he came in. His head stood out of the opening as the passing air hit him with full force, pushing his quills in an uncomfortable position that had them tugging at his head. He switched his radio over to Rouge. "Rouge, how well can you catch?" He asked.

"Er, what does that mean?" She answered back as she reached forward to grab another hold on the roof of the car to continue moving in Shadow's direction.

"The quickest way off this thing is to jump. Can you catch?" He said now fully on the roof of the car he just exited all the while closing the hatch leaving it just like how he found it.

"Catch you?" She answered back surprised and confused.

"We have an extract vehicle heading your way. You better get off that train. That vehicle isn't going farther than a few miles across the border." Tower explained over their radios.

"Get ready." The hedgehog said without warning. He instantly curled into a ball and bounced lightly off of the roof of the car. He felt the whiz of the train beneath his spinning body. It was only going to a second or two before he either plowed over Rouge or she caught him like he intended her to.

Rouge saw the black and red ball heading her way. She found the strength to stand up for a split instant as the balled hedgehog hit her with full force. She embraced him and grappled him to make sure they were one moving body now. She flapped open her wings allowing the drag to have them take flight. She quickly began fluttering them to maintain stability as she struggled with all her might to hold the hedgehog. He slowly uncurled with the sample box in is hands all the while, Rouge wrapping her arms around his chest and under his shoulders just to make sure she wouldn't drop him.

"Don't EVER do that again daredevil." She gritted through clenched teeth.

"We've got you tracked. The vehicle is on your six." Tower called to the two. Rouge looked forward to see the train zoom ahead. In a few seconds its end was past them as it continued on its journey. She turned around to see the same vehicle that inserted them into the area. It flared as it turned around and opened the back hatch. Rouge lightly touched down into the transport hold as the door closed behind her. She let Shadow go seeing as his feet were on the ground too and they were both safe on their way back to base. Omega was waiting patiently near the front of the hold like he was at the start of their operation. Mission accomplished.

The two took their seats on opposite sides of the transport vehicle. "So what was the cargo?" Rouge asked after allowing her heart to slow down.

Shadow pulled out the small sample box again and looked at the indicator screen. "Anhexyglucose Dihydrocarbonate."

"Well…what is that?" She pondered.

He gave her a certain glare. "Am I a chemist?"

"It's a Mobian regenerate. Our men are looking into it. That device remotely sent us the data it gathered from the material shortly after it was taken." Tower said over their radio links again.

"So what about the final destination of the train. Did we track it?" Shadow asked.

"Still in the process. We don't know when the train will stop but we have eyes on it. Unfortunately it's in Acorn territory now so where it is, they will have to deal with it." The disembodied voice continued.

"Are we going to tell Acorn about our little finding here?" The persistent hedgehog continued to question.

"That is over your head Agent. You just earned yourselves a hot meal, relax and don't worry about administrative things like that." The man said in his way of saying congratulations on a mission success and job well done. A little bit of military humor.

…

On the other side of the radio, Tower stood up on his podium overlooking the G.U.N. control room as he normally did. McCoy came up behind him. "What are your thoughts McCoy?" Tower asked him.

"We can tell Acorn of the result of this mission. Not about the mission itself however. I don't want them to know too much though." He explained calmly with his hands gripped together behind his back.

"And why is that?" Tower inquired a bit curious himself.

"Tell them the VIN from the train identified the material. In fact that would be the case if our system wasn't hacked. It's just a little embarrassing that our system is being compromised as much as it is by this guy. I don't want it known about our vulnerability. Not only that, they might think we gave Hook a heads up about knowledge of where ever this shipment is heading."

"But we didn't. We cross referenced everything, not even G.U.N. indicators from Gonzales picked up Team Dark's presence other than the destroyed defense systems and we already had that covered before the operation began." Tower wanted to ensure the man.

"I know. But we'd rather not let Acorn get any indication otherwise. Think of it as, what they don't know won't hurt them. Having my history in espionage, I know how both true and false that statement can be. Just trust me on this one." He concluded.

"If you say so." Tower turned to a data screen and smiled. "Looks like we finally are a step ahead of this Hook guy."

"Just some advice Commander… Never assume to be one step ahead of anything."

* * *

><p>Shit... one more thing. And I'm going to need some help with this one. I've decided to finish one or two of the books I started a while back (if I have time which it looks like I won't in the next three years but anywho) I just have one question...<p>

Which would you find more interesting of a read when it comes to an oppressive government power and an underground movement: a setting where technology is just like swords, bows and arrows, and stuff like that (Fire Emblem would be a good example minus the magic stuff) or one where it's more like Jak II - guns but still slums and 'fend-for-yourself' attitude? Answer as a review. Thanks.

Also, I promise not to solicit this book idea of mine to anyone. In fact, this will be the only time I will even mention it. I just want to know what would be more popular.


	14. Worth More Than Gold

**Author's Note: **DAAAMMMMNN! It's been a while!

Sorry peeps, I've been really busy (I'm running that excuse into the ground aren't I?) But at least this semester is the good kind of busy unlike last semester was the bad kind of busy. Decided to finish this chapter out today before I started my Space Mechanics homework (I have one problem... meaning it's going to take four hours to do it). It was either this or practice for my 'band's' first gig this Wednesday... I'm singing and playing bass... but I hope everything will be good. Got a new job as a tutor at an underprivileged elementary school so I actually have free time on the weekends! (And every day after 5!) So more time, hopefully, to work on this story. But you're not here to read a status update you want to read the fucking story! lol.

I just wanted to reiterate that I have not and will not abandon this story or any story without informing you guys. You might be like 'oh you dropped "Rush"' but I informed you about it didn't I? (If you even know what that story was) - sorry I've been going on tangents on everything for a few days now. But as I've also said, updates will be scarce. But there will be updates, I'll make sure of it.

Enough with the pointless chit-chat - you know the drill. Read, Review and most of all Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 14: Worth More Than Gold

*Poof!*

The distinct sound reverberated from the vacant walls.

"Blast it, can't see a damn thing in here."

Suddenly, small puffs of fire quickly appeared then disappeared. Like a strobe, these puffs were creating just a split second of light for their creator to maneuver around in the dark.

"There you are."

*Poof!*

The echo was prevalent as an atypical fire ant appeared on the end of a bed with two resting bodies occupying it. The echoes from before didn't even register to the motionless bodies in the bed. As the fire ant's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could make out the two in the bed before him. They were sleeping on their side with a small gap between the two. They were facing the same direction and the gentle breathing of the two at rest was almost in sync. A thin sheet was covering the mid torso of the two but one of them had his bare hand resting on the other's side, bridging the gap between the two. It was obvious as to who was who for the fire ant, because the bare hand on the shoulder had two odd red spikes sticking into the air.

The fire ant let out a small smile at the little torment he was about to invoke on the two. "Wake up call!" He shouted then proceeded to have a huge fireball erupt form its tiny throat. The combination of the flash of light, heat from the blast and loud noise of its ignition then sudden dissipation startled the two and awoke them from their slumber.

"What the hell?" And a light flicked on. Knuckles was already leaning up with one of his bare hands rubbing its palm in his eyes to help with the waking process. Julie su was not quite 'there' yet as she slowly dragged her head up to look around with dreary and half closed eyes.

"How's it going buddy?" Archimedes said chipper as he removed his hat from his head and flapped it in front of him with the slightest of head nods to greet the two.

"Archy, what on Mobius are you doing here? It's probably still early morning." Knuckles asked. Julie su shuffled around a bit to be facing the fire ant all the while making sure she was still underneath the covers of the bed.

"As much as I'd love to chat, I'm here on business actually." He began to explain. Knuckles simply raised an eye brow still a bit upset he was woken up with a jump by the little creature. "The Kingdom of Acorn has requested the presence of you as soon as you can get yourself ready to get going."

"What does Acorn want with me now?" Knuckles asked a bit annoyed.

"Not you boy. Her." The fire ant pointed both of his right arms to Julie su.

The female echidna's eye's flared in surprise. "Me?"

…

"This way ma'am." A medical clerk stated coolly as she escorted Julie su through the hospital halls.

The echidna was going through mixed emotions at the time. Not only was the sudden arousal from her slumber enough to throw her off, Lien da was ready to tell her story. That meant she was about to find out what this new 'possible threat' could be but also it meant facing her half-sister again; an act she much despised. She still couldn't decide if she felt bad for her. Seeing how tremendously tortured she was when she barged into her hospital room a few weeks prior, it was hard not too but she still housed a burning hatred toward her for her crimes against Mobius and their people back in the Eggman days.

The doors in the hallway swayed past her and the clerk as the room was approaching. She remembered the number and was watching it as they spanned through the building. 332…333…334. She turned into the room to see King Elias, Council Member Bennett, and Dr. Quack turn their heads in her direction. The unintentional and blank leers she picked up made her feel a bit out of place but that quickly changed as they turned back at the occupant of the bed. Julie su walked in slowly to see a much livelier patient than she remembered.

"The family's all here. Well. What's left of it at least. Where's the red one? Not wanting to show his angry mug or did you two finally end your little dance?" She said just as smart as she would have many years prior.

Julie su squinted and sneered back. "I would say it's good to see you back to health but I not the lying type."

"Ha! Oh, ouch."

"Ladies. We did not come here to quarrel. We came for business on the matter of security to the kingdom." Elias butt in making sure the session went smoothly and orderly.

"Alright fine. What do you want to hear?" Lien da asked.

"Everything." Elias stated. He turned to Dr. Quack and said lightly, "If you don't mind…" But the duck already understood the request, nodded and took his leave. He gently shut the door behind him as he left. "Now for part of this confession Julie su, I will be asking you to leave as well if you do not mind." He now asked her politely.

"Not at all." She said quickly.

"I just figured you would want to hear some of this." The king finished explaining. He pulled out a small recording device and placed it by the table next to Lien da's bed. It was now time for him to play interviewer. "How did all this began? Since the collapse of the Eggman Empire, where did you flea too?" He asked Lien da.

"Well… After the fallout of the war, I knew it wasn't best to stick around. After seeing a lot of the other Grandmasters being put up on trial for war crimes, I for obvious reasons went into hiding." She explained.

"So honorable." Julie su smirked which Lien da did nothing but sneer in response before she continued.

"After the dust settled, I began to hear reports of my warrants. I picked up an alias, "Mica-va." I tried to be normal and live as an average citizen but as you could only imagine, knowing nothing but a militaristic lifestyle and one as radical as the Legion, I couldn't make the transition easy." She stopped, reached over to the table next to her bed and casually picked up a small cup of water and took a sip from it. She let the liquid sit in her mouth for a second before swallowing and placing the cup back down. "I fled to the U.F. since Mobian diffusion into overland society was essentially complete at that time and Mobian U.F. citizens was already a norm. You know, to help save me from the hellfire of my entire race being pissed at me." She smiled at her half-sister.

"You didn't run into any issues passing through the borders?" Elias asked.

"This wasn't too long after the end of the war. With both overlanders and humans being so displaced it wasn't hard to slip my way around."

"Huh." Elias simply sounded as he was waiting on Lien da's every word.

"So trying to stay out of the limelight, I got jobs in some underground cartels breaking into some of Eggman's old bases and acquiring materials and selling them to whoever wanted them." She stated pretty bluntly.

"With a background such as yours why did you put yourself in even greater danger of being caught by joining illegal deals and business? Surely if you were captured for your current illegal acts your identity would be uncovered in an instant." Bennett posed pretty curiously.

"Well I wasn't caught was I?" She said with a proud and sinister grin as she cocked up an eye brow. "Like I said – I couldn't just go from a birth to present mindset of military conquest and power to working 9-5 as some convenient store. I needed something with organized tactics. Anyway, business was good for years. My boss and headman even took notice on my leadership and skill." She let a small chuckle escape her through. "If only I would have told him who I was." She mumbled as she smiled just imagining the look on the faces of her gang members if she let loose her identity. She continued. "After a couple of years it was being hinted that I'd be moving up the ladder soon. Unfortunately that was just before…" She stopped.

Elias and Bennett clung in suspense of what she would say next while Julie su still stood there with squinted brows and crossed arms. Finally after another short while, she was the first to show her lapse in patience. "Spit it out already." She griped sourly.

"It was just an ordinary mission. Go into this abandoned facility, load up the trucks with anything we viewed as having value, and get out of there. We've ran into trouble before doing these jobs but usually it was with other scavengers. Occasionally we'd run into police or federal forces but we're a cartel. We don't stop in the name of the 'law.' But this…this was different. We rolled open the huge storm door and closed it behind us as we normally did, just to keep snoopers out. But as we walked into the facility it…wasn't abandoned. Some of the machinery was in operation. Many of the computers were replaced and newer. An illegal scavenging squad stumbling into an 'abandoned' facility currently in operation; we knew we were in for it. We didn't get past gawking at the surprise when we started getting taken out one by one."

"Before you go on, was this the same facility we recovered you from?" Bennett asked politely.

"No. It was a different one." The red echidna answered.

"May I ask if you would be able to identify this facility if we provided satellite images?" Elias extended a hand in a simple gesture to compliment his speech.

Julie su snapped a look over to the king. She didn't know why this came as a surprise to her; Elias having more information about the matter. But the realization that he was in fact the king of an entire nation and knew more than any one of its citizens followed her previous reaction slower than it should have. 'At least they were doing something about the matter.' She thought to herself.

But in her vacant stare at the king, he turned to her. "Julie su, if you don't mind leaving for this portion. You can reenter shortly. Just governmental matters and as I'm sure you understand this must stay between myself and members of the council."

The echidna responded softly, "Sure" as the king was right; she completely understood.

She turned and left the room. Her curiosity was getting to her however and as she closed the door behind her, she thought about planting her ear to the door to listen in but knew better than that. She went a little ways down the hallway and sat on a bench waiting for her to gain entry again.

"Alright." Elias stated back in the enclosed hospital room. "Now from our collaborative efforts with the United Federation, we have identified four facilities that have taken our interest. If we showed you images taken form G.U.N. surveillance satellites, would you be able to recognize the facility?"

"I don't see why I couldn't try." Lien da answered sounding actually helpful instead of spiteful.

"In the meantime, please continue." Elias urged.

"Where was I again?" She asked a bit hesitantly.

"You said you had just entered the 'abandoned' facility." Bennett stated calmly.

"Ah yes. We entered in kind of in a group, no formation or anything. There were five including myself. Like I said we were all surprised at the facility still being in operation so we stood there looking around for a moment. Well Frankie, one of the guys in my group, was at the end and just keeled over! Face flat on the ground with a slit across his throat. Instantly we turned around to see who had done it but no one was there. Cixx was kind of a trigger happy bastard and started open firing which didn't help at all with trying to analyze the situation. Next thing I know, Lance went down behind me with a snapped neck. I was in the middle of the group so I figured I had time before I was picked off. I knew we were dealing with someone skilled. I didn't think there was more than just one otherwise we'd all be dead by that point. We put our backs together so we had eyes on anything and so nothing could sneak up on us. Cixx continued to shot at shadows until he was out of ammo. Dumbass. Well after he was dry, there was nothing. No movement, no sound, nothing. We figured this would be the best time to make our way out. We headed back to the entrance but we couldn't open the storm door. The thing wouldn't budge. So we put our backs back up against the wall and waited. Whoever took out Frankie and Lance didn't want us to escape.

"At this time it was just me Cixx and some rookie. We knew we had to get out of there so there must be another door. I took charge and directed us along the far wall so we had our flank covered. As we were running, we heard a loud 'bang' and Cixx was down. Sniped. You could probably guess by this time the rookie was freaking out. There was a generator up ahead so I grabbed the kid and threw him and myself behind it. We sat there for a moment to come up with a plan. I remember moving to a side of the generator to get a better view to see if I could spot who was picking us off but I couldn't see anything. Even though the place was as lively as ever, it was still a huge factory-like building and the rafters were very dim. I moved back to find the rookie missing. That's when I started to panic. I turned around again and the last thing I remember were seeing two red dots and a voice that just said 'Lien da' then a sharp coursing pain through my body. Like I was being electrocuted or something."

"Was there anything unique about this voice you heard?" Bennett asked.

"It seemed kind of higher than you'd think. That's about it." She explained.

"What about the two dots. Do you have any idea what they might have been?" Elias now took his turn to ask.

"Well they were eye level and…" She tried to think as it was difficult to recollect the moment. "That's about all I can pick out about them.

"You said they called you by your name, 'Lien da' so they obviously knew who you were. Once you fled the Dark Egg Legion, did you cross anyone before you picked up your new alias?" The raccoon now posed.

"Nope. I was even able to convince some of the other Grandmasters that I was killed with my runaway." She explained pretty confidently.

"Still though, someone knew who you were. Which probably explained why you were captured instead of killed like the rest of your gang." Elias pointed out while rubbing his chin as he often did.

"Well when I woke up, I was in that blasted cell the rabbit and coyote found me in. It was all dark and there was this guy there. I couldn't see anything distinctive about him on our first encounter except his penny loafers when he stepped close enough to me. On later visits I saw he looked just like a normal overlander – stern face and was older with a touch of grey amongst his faded black hair. No crazy scar, deformations or milked over eye to make him look sinister either. In fact, once when I saw him he was wearing a shirt and tie underneath a lab coat."

"Is there any better description we can have?" Elias asked.

"Listen. I gave you a description. This guy didn't really have anything notable about him to pick out. Seemed like a normal guy" Lien da stated firmly. "But nonetheless, when we first met he was just babbling something about how disgusted he was with me." The echidna shrugged as if it was nothing. "I was in and out the whole time so I don't know what he was talking about. I've heard the spiel before. What I do remember is I was already beaten up. I could feel my bottom lip swollen and busted up and my legs were incredibly sore. I was sitting down because that was really all I could do. I must have had some gash on my head too because when I'd turn my head even in the slightest bit I could feel the little bit of hair that was stuck in some dried blood on my face being pulled away. He said something like 'Soon you'll pay' or some crap like that." Again Lien da stopped and took another sip from the water cup she had posted by her bed.

"Did you get a name for this guy?" Elias asked already knowing the answer the echidna was about to give.

"Hook." She said pretty quickly. "He introduced himself by that name. He didn't give a last name. He said his partner was working with him but didn't mention anyone else."

"Did you ever see his partner?" The two government officials were taking turns poking questions at her.

"No. But he hinted that his partner was the one who took out my group in the facility."

"Did he state any purpose for keeping you alive?"

"At most it seemed he was keeping me as a pet. Like he was getting some sadistic pleasure of keeping me alive just to torture me. I only ate once every couple of days or so. Could have been weeks, I don't know. I had no concept of time while down there. I was being waterboarded occasionally which didn't last long." She gave a false sneer in an attempt to cover up the pain she was experiencing just reliving the situation. "The trick with that is to just stay calm. The bit of water I was able to sneak felt good on my throat. I couldn't sleep and remember seeing and hearing thins because of it. I know how the body works in these circumstances. Good thing my sister isn't here to hear me say that," she smiled, "she'd probably punch me in the face. But at that point you lose reality. You lapse and don't know what you even said a few seconds beforehand. You don't know where you are, what you're doing, or what you're saying. I could only remember a few things of my time in that hellhole. What I presume was a few days before my rescue, I remember Hook saying it's been five months. Normal prisoners don't last that long. He wanted something from me and I honestly couldn't tell if I gave it to him."

"Was there anything, anything at all that you remember either he or you said that stuck out? That wasn't part of your normal prisoner-captor ordeal?" Elias asked trying to get more than an 'I don't know what happened.'

"Well, one thing I could tell was this guy hated Mobians. Spat on me often. Kept saying how we 'killed off the humans' and that 'overlanders will rise again.'" This statement sent shivers down the squirrel and raccoon listening in. She continued. "Talked about how some dumb aliens came and did something which caused Mobians to 'run terror on the planet.' Went on endless rants about genealogy and biological evolution and stuff. This guy was strange. Kept calling Mobius Urf or something."

"Earth." Elias simply said. Lien da looked at him funny and almost angrily too. "I've heard it before. Tell me Lien da did he ask anything specific for you at any point? This is very important."

"Like I said _king_ it's not like my time there is a written book. I can't remember half of what was going on!"

"Just try please." Bennett said calmly.

Lien da sat there in silence for a moment. Her eyes moved to the side as she was trying hard to think. "I think… he was interested in legionizing. Either that or roboticizing." Elias' eyes grew as big as the moon. But she had more to say. "But not like that. He asked me if there was a possibility to reverse the machines or tamper with them or something. Like I said it is really fuzzy." She sounded surprisingly sincere in trying to recall the information. "That's pretty much all I can remember. He was good at not giving anything in particular away."

The king let out a sigh. He was hoping for a direct lead to this Hook guy but she was right. Being tortured and for so long too, messing with the mind. It would be near impossible for her to recall anything specific even if she did have a decent conversation with Hook about his intentions. But something did come from this conversation: alarm. There was this crazy guy who had access to large facilities and was working on something big under the radar, who hated Mobians and knew a great deal about the Xorda invasions. Now he was interested in some part of roboticization whether it was to utilize the technology or to reverse it was unsure. Either way it did not sound good.

"Is there anything else you can tell us ma'am?" Bennett said with a smile.

Lien da was surprised at the council member's manners and gave him an unsure look as a response. "Not that I can recall."

Elias moved over to the recording device, picked it up and turned it off. "Well we greatly appreciate this Lien da. Every little bit helps. We will be back with those satellite images of the suspected facilities." He paused. "Both the U.F. and the Kingdom of Acorn fear we have something big on our hands and we are trying feverishly to find out what it is before it becomes a threat."

"What about Albion and the echidnas? What are their actions toward this matter?" She asked.

Elias was silent for a moment. "They are staying out of these matters as they claim it does not concern them." He answered solemnly. Lien da's expression fell slightly. The king was surprised she was so concerned about them but then again, their race was almost wiped out on numerous occasions. It would be hard to have concern for them at least as a thought. "We are currently renegotiating your sentence. Obviously your cooperation has changed your fate. We will discuss this matter further." He said as he and Bennett turned toward the door.

"Sir." More and more surprises were coming from the echidna. That was the last thing Elias would expect any former Eggman henchman to call him. "Bring Julie su in will ya?" Elias nodded and left the room with the raccoon following.

"Julie su. She'd like to see you know." Elias called her over as she still was sitting patiently in the hallway.

She slowly got up and moved toward the room. "Thanks." She said lowly to the king more because she was to have a one-on-one with the half-sibling she hated than because of any disrespect to Elias.

She entered the room again and the door closed behind her. "You wanted to see me?" Julie su said still pretty stuck up.

"I don't expect us to be friends or anything…" She started off almost in the same tone but she couldn't bring her eyes to make contact with Julie su's. They were instead directed down a bit and out the window where she saw the sunny morning greet the world.

Julie su was about to make a snide comment along the lines of 'I wonder why.' But something in her step-sister's expression told her not to even if her tone screamed otherwise.

"There isn't really anything left for me to do. Any long desires and dreams about power and conquest are futile at this day and age. Any hope of seeing our long heritage…our family, back in full strength is useless. Edmund won this long battle back when the D.E.L. broke apart after the war."

Julie su cut her off. "What are you saying?" She had a bit of confusion and slight pity in her tone. Only slight pity.

Lien da roller her eyes in her direction as her head turned slightly to follow her eyes. She cocked up an eye brow. "I'm saying I'm done." She sat up a bit more in the bed to readjust from the position she just realized she was sitting in for nearly half an hour now. "Everything I do will be monitored so that I don't slip away again."

"Is Elias granting you immunity?!" Julie su shouted in a sudden epiphany as that is what it seemed like she was getting at.

"Ha! I wish. I probably won't get that lucky but he did just say I won't be a severely punished." She couldn't help but smirk. "You're smart." She continued. "Anyway, it looks like I have to try and live a petty life like you now seeing as I don't have a chance to get back into any underground businesses again. But don't expect that if there wasn't an opportunity to get back where I was, I won't take it."

"Why are you telling me this?" The pink echidna spat figuring her intent was to just get underneath her skin.

"So that you don't have to worry about me anymore. Like I said, we don't have to be friends. We don't even have to see each other again but just know that I'm done with trying to take over what little power I could get my hands on at this point." She explained like she was accepting defeat. And in a way she was.

"Is this because of the past few months?" Julie su asked with no expression or tone to designate any emotion.

"No." She lied. "It just won't work in this day and age. No one would follow me and I'd get stomped." She said truly even if that wasn't the full reason. Deep down, she was shaken up. She needed time to mentally recover from her captivity even if she was not the type to let it show. She felt so defeated that she didn't want anything but peace. She didn't know how she was going to go about doing it or what she was going to do but she knew that is what she wanted. For the time being at least.

Julie su stood there in silence for a moment taking it all in. She was definitely confused. This was not like her step-sister at all and she knew something had changed whether it be temporary or permanent but no words came to mind at that point.

"Well? Are you just going to stand there?" Lien da fumed which broke the thinking echidna's silence.

"I'm happy for you." Was all she could come up with.

"You can go now." She answered sternly.

Julie su stood there for a couple more seconds before Dr. Quack made his entrance. "Oh, I'm sorry. I saw King Elias leave and thought you were through here."

"It's okay. I'm leaving." Julie su said calmly and moved through the door.

"Ok. I don't know if you remember me saying that once we removed the bomb Eggman placed in you that you'll have some issues with…" Julie su heard Dr. Quack speak medically with Lien da until the door slowly closed cutting the connection of the rest of his speech with her ears. But she wasn't concerned with eavesdropping on Dr. Quack's report anyway. She moved down the hallway and toward the elevator.

Knuckles was waiting for her in the lobby on the first floor and got up immediately once he saw her come from the vertically moving cages. "Well?" He asked lightly grabbing her arm and sliding his hand down to her hand and gripping it lightly.

"She's been through some rough shit. I can tell." She said seriously.

Knuckles moved his right arm and placed it around her shoulder while his left hand still grappled the back of her left hand. "I'm just glad I'm not seeing blood on these fists of yours." He joked.

She gave a smirked and gave a laughing huff. "Ha, thaaaankks."

"So she wasn't _up to something_ like you thought she was?" He inquired. The two made it up to the hospital entrance and the automatic sliding doors glided open to allow them to walk out.

"No. I don't think we'll have any issues with her for a while now." She explained, rewording her half-sister's last words in their conversation.

"Well that's good." He couldn't help but take a deep intake of the morning air as they walked outside. "Well it's morning. What do you say we go grab some grub?"

"Oh I'm starving!" Julie su blurted enthusiastically causing Knuckles to smile at her response.

* * *

><p><strong>Another Author's Note: <strong>

In my opinion a bit dry but it has been a while. Was going to have Lien da spill more information on Hook's plan but I would rather have things piece together for ya. You know, keep you on the edge of your seat.

But all of her confession will be relevant, I assure you. REVIEW!

Oh and fuck yeah Ravens!


	15. Out of Neutrality

**Author's Note:**

Well holy shit. Even through this week of Spring Break I had little time to get even one chapter up and running. But I digress, here it is for all your reading pleasure. And I hope you see the subtle connection from a previous chapter. This story is going to have a lot of those, just a heads up. Everything is for a purpose in this story :P

I really don't have much to say other than again, updates will be slow. But the story is picking up and I realized today, this is going to be a really long one! (Already approaching 100,000 words and we've still got a bit to go!) So I hope you stick it out for the long run. I know I will be. Also, does anyone know any good communities to put this story in?

(And please review, I need to know how to improve my writing because I do plan on writing a book in the future. It's on my bucket list.)

Read, Review and Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 15: Out of Neutrality

'_Over the course of the rebuilding of Planet Mobius, I have found it relevant to note the disastrous path we have chosen. I both issue this as a warning and a plea: to look deep at our relations with one another. We are friends with the enemy and soon that will be prevalent.'_

Elias sat, hunched over the small note that rested lightly between his thumbs and index fingers. His eyes lay fixed on the familiar looking note as not even a blink disturbed the connected they were making with the pasted on words. He took a deep breath and let out a sigh. A second note.

The king still had no idea what these notes meant. 'Research,' 'relations'… He knew he wasn't the only one to receive the note. Just like before, U.F. probably got the same thing. He wondered about Albion but their denial of receiving the first note made him think they probably were not involved. No, this was between Acorn and the U.F.

The fact that these notes were written to different nations only brought more confusion into the picture; neither nation was formally addressed. Who were these notes for? They couldn't possibly seem to be specifically for each of the two allied nations. So who is the 'we' and the 'our'? And what could this Hook guy be suggesting, plotting, or even doing as he sat staring deeply into the etched words, Elias thought to himself.

"I am beyond the point of frightened." He said to himself.

*o*

"Councilor Garner! If you do not address this issue with Matriarch Saren-ca,"

"You'll do what Wynmacher? Bring it to her yourself?" The smug echidna let out a small grin. "Because it went so well last time."

"Damn it! This is not a time for petty disputes and superiority checks!" The fumed echidna threw his forearm into the wall that stood beside him, emphasizing his statement with a loud 'whack.' They were in a hallway of the Senate Chambers on Angel Island. The Great Council, though operates on Angel Island, oversees the Echidna Senate which coordinates with provisional sanction at Albion as well for those wishing to remain there. The Senate has been in session for a few weeks now and it was brought to the attention of the Council that same morning of a second anonymous note; a second note that was also thrown out and discarded much to Wynmacher's apprehension. "Is it not apparent that we are being involved in something whether we like it or not?"

"I see it apparent that we have not yet been involved in anything. A simple, and might I add – extremely ambiguous – note is no reason to raise alarm." Garner, the Councilor of External Affairs snapped back.

For far too long, those on the council that were concerned with this issue unfortunately were not in the power to take action – as it did not fall under their command. Of those concerned with the notes, Wynmacher was the closest one who could do anything about the matter for the sole reasons that if something were to happen internally, it would fall under him as Councilor of Internal Affairs. "It is only a matter of time Garner and you know that very well. Stalling only makes us less prepared. Even if nothing were to happen, I suggest we take preemptive actions just in case! We'd have nothing to lose if nothing did happen."

"I greatly appreciate your concern Wynmacher… But I have been placed under direct orders from Saren-ca to leave this matter be. You have a good day." The slightly darker red echidna brushed past Wynmacher in the hallway and continued on his way.

He was left stunned. How could one in charge of nation that is in such a fragile state as their own, leave a possible threat unattended? The thought boggled him. He took a few steps down the hall and stopped in front of a window that was perfectly lined up with a busy street allowing him to see for many blocks as the population, still amongst rebuilding, went on with their daily lives. He let out a heavy sign.

…

A few blocks away from the Senate Chambers, a young overlander around his mid-teens was walking down a busy market street. He held some kind of metal ball with a blue band around it, about the size of a basketball. He looked particularly happy as a smile was stretched across his face. Around him in the hustle and lively spirit of the area a few children were running around playing, laughing and screaming. He walked up to a fruit cart and set the small ball down underneath it. And just like that, he began to walk away.

*o*

"Commander Tower." Elias called out in a conference call between the two of them.

"I would only assume the recent intel has wavered your decision to comply with my proposed mission?" Tower answered. Though he did not like the fact that they both received a second anonymous note but this meant that it was more than likely that they could move forward with the investigation of the third facility.

"You would assume correctly. I just wish things would have come at a different time." The king let out a sneer. "It is only noon but this day has already been a thick one."

"As I have been told. Any important information from what Lien da explained this morning?" The man asked curiously. He had to suppress a twitch about how he still wished they would have recovered her rather than the Kingdom of Acorn.

"I am having Council Member Rotor and Penelope develop a full scale memorandum for you and President Martin about the debrief. Bennett and I went back to visit her with the satellite images G.U.N. took of the four facilities. She was able to identify the facility she was initially captured in was the final of the four facilities." Elias explained.

"Not the one in question of investigating?" The man on the other side of the screen questioned.

"No. The facility the Freedom Fighters will be 'touring' is not the facility she was captured in. She did mention at the instant of her capture she saw two red dots that were about eye level as a voice called out her actual name rather than her post-D.E.L alias. Mean anything to you?" The squirrel king felt necessary to bring up.

"Two eye level red dots match a civilian description of a hooded figure seen on the rooftops of Soleanna the day of my assassination attempt." A voice sounded off screen from Tower's end.

"Mr. McCoy. I did not expect you to be listening in." Elias sounded a bit aggravated as he gave Commander Tower a stern glare. The third party made his way into view of the screen.

"I do not like my presence to be known until I see fit." He answered cooly.

"I swear Commander Tower, could you and President Martin not have picked a more enigmatic man? He asked with a lightly joking tone.

"I take that as a compliment your highness." McCoy replied with a similar tone before moving back out of the frame.

"So this hooded figure seen around Soleanna was the same one who captured Lien da?" Tower concluded, putting two and two together.

"And that means this hooded figure is an accomplice of Hook. This also completely confirms the theory that Hook was behind the assassination attempt." Elias stated fitting in the final piece.

"Precisely." McCoy said off screen again.

"Then it is of upmost importance we look into these facilities. Is there a possibility of investigating the final facility first since Lien da could give somewhat of a description of the area?" Elias asked still concerned about going into hostile territory blind.

"Unfortunately we know more and have looked more into the other facility. You did look at demographics of the area to see if any underground structures were possible correct? Restating your words, we do not want another Security Outpost 057 on our hands." Tower brought the issue back to the top.

"Yes, fortunately there is a very unlikely possibility that there could be a large underground complex there. "

"That's good to hear."

"I have not yet briefed the Freedom Fighters but after only shortly speaking with the Council we will likely have something set up within a couple days." Elias stated firmly. "More intel is to be gathered and I hope you comply in aiding in that intelligence gathering to ensure mission success right?"

"Most definitely."

"Ok. I think our best approach would be to–" But King Elias was cut off but a certain walrus busting through the door of the conference room.

"Sorry to interrupt sir but Albion has been attacked!"

*o*

The dust slowly cleared. A distinct ringing was heard, constant and unchanging. Heads were thumping with every pulse of the heart. Eyes were hazy and hard to open but the effort was never ceased nonetheless. All what could be seen was the silhouette of extended arms pushing on the ground beneath in an attempt to rise to unstable feet. Once up, the scene slowly cleared up as eyes focused and the view of devastation became apparent. Fire on the rooftops, the sky burning with a thick red and black as flames and smoke covered the horizon. Screams were heard all around. Panic was displayed plentifully in the streets ahead. Children were crying, sirens were sounding and shouts were heard as they were just trying to make sense of the chaos.

"Councilor Wynmacher!" Shouted an echidna with solid and thick black hair that protruded from underneath a ranger hat. But his shouts were drowned as the sight of his background was still catching Wynmacher in a trance. "Wynmacher! Can you hear me?!" Finally his crys were heard as the echidna's eyes were directed to the Constable.

"Remington! What is Aurora's name is going on?!" Wynmacher shouted out in perplexity.

"An explosion right in the middle of Bogside Market! Are you injured at all?" The officer shouted in haste.

"No, a bit shaken up but…" He wiped some blood from his busted lip as he yelled to him; the only way to make sure their words were audible over the commotion and confusion around them.

"Help look for people! We need all the help we can get! There's bound to be a lot of injured too." Remington called out to him as he turned around and made his way back to the destroyed city blocks behind him. He almost tripped on some of the rubble and debris that lie under his feet.

Wynmacher was still recovering from the sudden shock and realized he wasn't outside before. He turned around and saw the Senate Chamber with half of the building collapsed. A gaping hole in the side of the building was the biggest eye grabber as interior rooms were clearly visible from his standpoint. Immediately he ran toward the building to see if anyone was buried under the collapsed section, all the while wondering how he wasn't buried himself. "Can anyone hear me?!" He shouted out. He could barely make out some audible mumbles but couldn't distinguish where they were originating from.

It was like a wasteland. Pieces of foundation, twisted metal and broken concrete littered the area. Some more crumbling structures from the Senate Chamber fell off. He could smell the heavy dust from the destruction that lay around him. He continued on to try and find anyone.

He heard the mumbles again and stopped to look around the rubble and saw a few bricks move due to motion from beneath them. He dashed over and began flinging bricks behind him as he dug for whoever it was underneath the wreckage. A few bricks down he began to see a bruised and battered hand. He continued digging. Finally he was able to distinguish Councilor Garner.

"Garner! Are you alright?" Wynmacher asked in reflex to the situation.

"I'm buried beneath a building, what do you think?"

Wynmacher let out a light chuckle. "Seeing as your still hosting that tone of yours I'd assume fine.

"Eh, I've been better." He played along. "Just get me out of here." And at his prompt, Wynmacher continued to dig him out. It took a short while but he finally was able to get him cleared of enough debris to help hoist him out of the pit he sat in.

"Errg." Garner moaned as he felt a sudden sharp pain from the readjusting.

"Something wrong?" Wynmacher responded as he noticed the grunt.

"Ugh. I think I've broken something…" The slightly buried echidna answered. Wynmacher continued to lift him up and immediately saw the cause of Garner's pain. His right leg was clearly broken as a new immovable joint was created between his knee and ankle. It was close to the point where the fracture was almost protruding out from the skin. The shock and adrenaline must have subdued the councilor enough for the pain to not be unbearable.

Wynmacher had to look away as the disfiguration began to make him feel slightly queasy. "I'll say." He looked around the scene to find something to use as a temporary splint. He saw some broken timbers, "Stay here, I'll be right back." and moved over to retrieve them. He picked one up and broke it into two pieces about the length of a single leg. Next he came across an Albion flag, torn and ripped as it was flapping in the slight wind while being pinned beneath a large piece of foundation from the Senate Chambers. Seeing as it was already ripped and torn he tore some more of it off to use as wraps.

Continuing back to his injured fellow council member, he began work on the makeshift splint. "What the hell happened here?" Garner said looking around at the madness as Wynmacher was creating his splint.

"An explosion apparently." He answered while aligning the two pieces of wood on the sides of his injured leg.

"From what? This is massive!" Garner exasperated while his fellow council member moved on to tying the pieces of wood tight with the flag remnants so they'd stay in place.

"I have no idea. Senate Chamber is half gone." He kept up the conversation, finishing up the splint so his leg wouldn't move in any way other than from the hip so that the injury wouldn't get worse.

"I can see that. This is unbelievable… Have you found anyone else?"

Wynmacher made the final strap and tied it tight which caused a small grunt to arise from Garner. "No, you're the first one I found since I came to."

"How'd you get to be so lucky? Not anything more than that busted lip of yours." The echidna jeered.

"Alright, up you go." He said not responding to that final statement as he helped Garner up onto his only able leg. He held his arm around his shoulders so they would move as one. "We got to get out of this area."

But it was difficult for them to maneuver around the rubble of the building as Garner had to hop on one leg to avoid any contact with his broken one. Their heavy robes and dress were not fancying them at this point as it caused both complications with their movement around the area's surface but it also was getting quite hot underneath those things. After nearly twenty minutes of toiling around the labyrinth of debris and destruction, the two just got away from the destroyed Senate Chambers and into some slightly open area.

"It's 'bout time." Garner stated as he was getting quite tired from the one legged workout of the past few minutes. Conveniently, an EMS vehicle drove up.

"Over here!" Wynmacher signaled it down with his free hand, the one not holding Garner up. "Over here! He needs medical attention!" He continued to shout out to which the ambulance finally took note and made its way over.

As the vehicle stopped nearby, Wynmacher slowly let Garner down to sit on a large chunk of building that at this point resembled a boulder in a wasteland. The medical staff rushed over and flooded the councilors with the general questions, "Is this your only injury?" To Wynmacher – "Are you injured any?" "Are there more that need help?"

"He was the first one I found. I'm going back to find more." The echidna explained. They did some quick checks to Garner and then hoisted him on a gurney and placed him in the back of the ambulance.

"Wynmacher." He called out from the back of the car. Wynmacher made his way to the back to see Garner smile. "Thanks."

He smiled in return, gave a quick head nod and moved on.

He moved back into the fray of the demolition but couldn't tell if there was anyone else around. The other EMS and now some of Remington's police forces were continuing in the excavation.

Wynmacher trekked back through the devastation and made his way inside the ruins of the Senate Chamber. It was a very estranged feeling; not even an hour before he was looking out the window on a sunny day over Albion and now he stood in the destruction of that very building underneath a red and black sky. The scene almost looked like night due to the fires that still burned in the neighboring blocks. He lost complete track of time as it could easily have been early evening at that point.

Part of the Senate Chamber was still sizzling as hot coals slowly burned away the remaining structure. He moved through a hallway that was completely dark with no power in the entire building. "Anyone in here?" He shouted out again. He knew that at the time of the explosion, anyone inside the part of the Senate Chambers that is still standing would be fine but those outlying rooms were what he was concerned out. From what he could see from the outside many of them, the higher floors included, had parts of the ceiling and walls collapsed in the rooms. He wanted to check those out.

The councilor moved down the hallway and found the stairwell. Fortunately it was still standing and more importantly stable. He went up toward the second floor first. While up there, it was apparent someone was in need of assistance because shouts could be heard all down the second floor's hallway. "Help!" He heard shouted out. "Anyone there?!"

He began to run down the hall. He was already quite overheated from his robes but figured the run was much better than what some of the other around him were going through. He made it down the hall to about the area of where he figured the cries for help were coming from. "Anybody!" Wynmacher turned instantly to the door on his right where he knew for sure the voice came from. He opened the door to see the outside from the collapsed outer wall. The burning city blocks were much more dramatic from the elevated point of view. He looked down toward the city and could even see a large level area right in the center of the market where many buildings once stood.

But he was not there to look at the view. He swiveled his head around to try and find who was shouting for help. Instead of finding a person however, he found a pile of rubble with a small hole in it. He peered through the hole and to his astonishment found Saren-ca.

"Oh thank Aurora!" She stated fully relieved someone had come across her.

"Matriarch? It's me Councilor Wynmacher. Can you hear me?" He asked as he looked around the pile studying his first move into getting her out.

"I can hear you fine Wynmacher. Help get me out."

"I will. Are you injured at all?" He continued to question as he started pulling rocks from the outer surface of the shell of debris that encased her.

"No, I'm in some sort of pocket in here. I just don't want it to collapse on me… I don't know how much stuff is on top of me right now." She sounded quite frightened at the very real threat of being crushed under the wreckage.

"Alright, don't worry. I'm going to get you out of there." He reassured her as he continued to move some of the rocks out of place.

One by one he moved some of the larger pieces of foundation that was encompassing the Matriarch. He robes were being torn from some of the sharp edges of the fragmented stones. But in a situation as their own, attire was not of importance. "Wynmacher…" Saren-ca called out with a stern more strength filled tone than before.

"Yes Matriarch." He responded in between a grunt or two, trying to lift this one particularly large boulder from the pile. Eventually he just kicked it over, causing enough force for it to roll off the pile. The pile shook a bit in the change of forces across it and for an instant the councilor was in fear of the miracle chamber that Saren-ca was in of collapsing.

She continued. "Do you know what happened? What went on to cause me being buried right now? All I heard was a loud boom and an instant later the ceiling was falling on me."

"I ran into Constable Remington. He just said an explosion, from inside the Market place."

"An explosion? From what?"

Wynmacher didn't want to tell her what he was thinking. It wasn't in his nature to be so boastful when he turned out to be right. And for that matter, he still wasn't sure if he was right or wrong. He honestly hoped he was wrong. "I don't know." He simply responded.

By this time he almost had her uncovered. "I think I can bust out by now." Saren-ca suggested but Wynmacher was quick to disagree.

"No! Wait. You don't know how this thing is being supported. You may make it crash down." He stood for a moment studying it. In all honesty, he wasn't sure where to go next. Whatever piece of debris he would try and move, the other side of the small remaining pile would collapse.

"Well?"

"Ok. Once I give you the go, I want you to bust out of the remaining wall to your…" He had to think of how she was oriented. "Left. Once you do, move away quickly. I'm going to hold the thing up long enough for you to get out." Wynmacher got in position, hoisting up a large boulder that had the remaining of the ceiling of rubble resting on it. He had his knees bent and the force of his full body behind that rock, ready to hold it for Saren-ca's escape. "One. Two." He braced for the weight that was soon going to be falling on him. "Three."

And in an instant, Saren-ca began to push her way out. Wynmacher could already feel the pressure of the extensive weight that he was trying to hold up. 'Just a little longer.' He thought to himself as he gritted his teeth in strain. Saren-ca broke free from the small hole and quickly crawled out. She got up and turned to see the amount of weight Wynmacher was holding up by acting as the support for the boulder that lied in his grip.

"I'm free!" She shouted and without hesitation, Wynmacher dropped the rock and jumped back to avoid being crushed from the falling rocks. He took another unsteady step behind him before falling on his back. With heavy breaths and sore muscles, he lay for a moment to recover before getting back up.

He got up, not seeing Saren-ca looking down at him waiting for thanks, but instead she stood on the edge of what remained of the floor of the second story, staring out of the nonexistent wall into the burning wreckage of a few devastated city blocks. "It's unbelievable isn't it?" He said to her but got no response.

From still burning memories of the previous destructions their city, nation, and people went through in years past forever etched into their minds, the two government officials knew this was not some kind of accident. This was because of something. This was intended. 'He was right.' Saren-ca silently told herself, waiting for the councilor to mention he previous predictions at any time whether it be now or later.

"Come on, we need to get you out of here. You've got a wounded nation to attend to." Wynmacher stated as he grabbed her arm and directed her toward the door of the balcony-turned room that he entered through.

They moved through the hall and down the stairs but instead of going out through the ruins and rubble of the destroyed side of the building, they trekked through the dark and deserted remaining part of the Senate Chamber to leave through the front, the side still intact.

Once they left the building, it was like a whole new world. The city on this side remained untouched. The sky was visible and a crowd was gathered along the fence of the courtyard outside. The Matriarch, still guided by Wynmacher turned around to see the Senate Chamber from their new perspective. From this vantage it was just as statured and magnificent as when she walked into the building that morning. You could not tell the other side of the building was completely destroyed from their point-of-view. The only thing that still sent chills down her spine were the columns of smoke conquering the skyline above the government building.

In their fixated gaze, two helicopters arose from over the Senate Chamber. Despite being completely covered in dust, the Matriarch's brilliant robes were still recognizable. The helos moved into position to make a quick landing on an open part of the courtyard that Saren-ca and Wynmacher stood in.

Just as the choppers touched down, an echidna in full military guard uniform bolted out to retrieve the two politicians. "Come with us, we need to take you to safety!" He shouted as he began moving back toward the helo with Saren-ca and Wynmacher following him. They were helped on board and the military guard gave a signal to the pilot. The pilot nodded and they took off just as quick as they landed. The other chopper remained behind as soldiers spilled out of it and rushed the Senate Chambers to locate more of the buildings occupants to extract them to safety.

*o*

"Frankie, come in over!" Remington shouted into his radio that was strapped to a shoulder strap of his uniform. He kept moving through the rubble that was cluttered the streets.

"I hear ya Remie. Send traffic." A voice on the radio answered shortly after.

"Have you established a perimeter around the affected sector?" He said while looking around a nearby burning building. He walked up to the front door as it was blown off its hinges. He didn't need his flashlight for the short investigation as the back of the building was missing. The red glow from the fires created a strange aura in the destroyed building. He saw a body hunched down in a corner. He moved over to it and checked its pulse. Dead.

"Affirmative. It looks like just a few blocks were hit." The radio chatter gave him a little jump. He looked around the rest of the building.

"Anyone here?" He shouted. "Anyone need help!" He waited a short moment before tugging his radio slightly closer to his face and holding down the communication button. "Put the city on lockdown. This is too big to be an accidental gas explosion or anything along those lines. This might not be over. Remington out." He let his hand off the radio and looked up at the sky through a hole in the rooftop as two police copters buzzed by. The thought of how or why this could have happened kept running through his mind.

He left the half destroyed building he was scoping out and continued to move down the street toward the epicenter of the explosion. As he walked down the blacked and burnt avenue, he took note of all the fruit carts blown apart from the blast and debris that was embedded into walls that somehow still were standing. Part of nearby buildings collapsed as the weakening structures failed under the stress of the building remnants. The closer he got to the center of the blast, the burned and mangled bodies starting turning more into marks of soot that were engraved in the ground where they last stood. He couldn't look at them anymore so he kept his eyes at the crater that lied just another block in front of him.

Remington made it up to the edge of the smoldering basin and looked down. It had to have been a twenty-five maybe thirty foot depression from the lowest point to the edge of the crater. He slowly moved down the edge and into the bowl that was created from the blast. The ground was still quite hot and even though he still wore gloves, he had to be careful not to use his hands for more than a few seconds to help in support and balance. His heavy boots were getting heated causing his feet to sweat but other than that, they worked well in the hot ground.

Slowly the echidna made his way down the trough of the pit. He kicked around in the small rubble just as a natural reaction to a basic inspection. He gently brushed his feet from left to right until he came across something hard. His first thought was naturally just a rock or a piece of the road that the crater rested in. But as he looked down his face scrunched together in perplexity. He slowly extended his arm down simultaneously as an eyebrow raised high on his face. He stuck his hand into the soft and seemingly molten ground; if he kept his hand buried any longer, his glove might as well fuse to his skin from the heat.

He grabbed what he saw and pulled out a smooth curved piece of metal with part of it covered in a distinct blue hue. He flipped it over and blew out the remaining dust and dirt from the concave side and saw a shiny black powder clumped together on the inside of it. "What the–" the constable heard escape from his own mouth.

Just then he heard the loud 'whops' of helicopter blades circulating in the smoky air from the blazing area. He turned to find himself caught in the large spotlight from the floating aircraft and immediately threw his forearm in front of his face to shield his eyes from the blinding light. The loose gravel and dust from the new found crater began soaring around Remington and stinging him as they hit him with high velocity. He waved his arms to try to signal the helicopter to move from the area and shortly after they must have picked up on the message as it glided a short distance from the crater.

Remington crawled out of the crater and made his way to the helicopter. He still had his forearm placed in front of his face due to the dust ash and gravel still being flung around by the chopper's air wake. He hunched down as he got close and finally made it to the hull and climbed in.

"Good to see you sir." One of the military guards shouted to the constable once he jumped on board.

"Constable Remington." Saren-ca motioned over to him. The chopper began to take off as he moved to approach her.

"Good to see you're alright ma'am. I'm guessing you came across her Wynmacher?" Remington asked the councilor sitting next to her. He gave a simple silent head nod.

"Constable, do you know any idea of what's happened here?" Saren-ca continued to ask the echidna.

"Not sure ma'am. But this was found at the explosion site." He brought the artifact he found just moment ago into better view for her.

"Sir!" One of the soldiers called out to him. He turned and moved toward the edge of the chopper where the aforementioned soldier was holding tight to a grip-loop hanging from the hull ceiling. Remington grabbed a neighboring one and stood by the echidna, looking out of at the ruins of the affected area. The smoldering wreckage was an eyesore compared to the rest of their beautiful city. Heavy smoke still plunged into the air. "See how the blast was not entirely circular?" The soldier shouted, noting that the obvious boundary of the area exposed to the blast was extended on the side opposite of the Senate Chambers. It looked as if the blast area was an image of a comet painted on a city canvas, with a circular boundary that extended to the destroyed part of the Senate Chamber but had a tail that extended much farther on the other side.

Remington looked down at the relic he uncovered in from the crater. "Well that'll explain why some of this remains." He said to himself. After a few more seconds of inspecting the piece, he looked up to see Saren-ca and Wynmacher staring at him. He let go of the grip loop and moved away from the edge of the helo.

"Matriarch Saren-ca. It looks like you and much more of the council and senate are lucky to be alive." He said reassuring her. He turned his head slightly to the left to see Wynmacher rubbing his face profusely with his dirty dust and smoke covered palms. "You alright sir?"

Saren-ca looked over at him as well. It was slightly surprising but more impacting to her to see this. He was cool and collected through this entire ordeal with a sound head on his shoulders. He didn't let his true state and fears be shown until now, once the job was done. This was a true leader. And through it all, he was humble enough to not once mention anything: not the notes, not that the echidna nation would succumb to something like this, not that their 'external affairs' would soon fall under his jurisdiction of 'internal affairs.' Not once did he mention that he was right all along.

But she knew without him telling her. This explosion was related to the affairs that the U.F. and Kingdom of Acorn warned Albion about. This was an attack.

"Wynmacher? Are you alright?" Remington asked again, not getting a response from the councilor the first time, though it was very likely he did not hear him over the loud whirls of the helo blades.

Wynmacher dropped his palms onto his torn and untethered robes. "Fine." He stated solidly just before looking up at the constable with sideways eyes. "I just want to see my wife and son again."

Remington let out a smile and rested his free hand on the councilor's shoulder. "Don't worry. You will."

The helicopter continued flying away to a safe location, leaving a damaged city behind in its wake.


	16. On Call

**Author's Note:**

A few things... holy shit it's been a while. Last Wednesday concluded the busiest semester of my entire life and it shows in my lack of updates. Thankfully it payed off. But like most chapters after my long breaks, they can be pretty dry which I'm sorry is the case for this one. It's also a little short.

I wanted to point out that I just realized in the previous chapter it said in two accounts that the explosion took place at Albion and Angel Island. I want to make sure that it happened at Albion. Not Angel Island. I also want to add that in more recent chapters it seems like this story kind of surrounds Elias and not so much Sonic. Well that is about to change and that's hinted in his chapter. In future chapters the Freedom Fighters will have more of an involvement and there will be more progression of the story in general. It's just been a while since I've tended to my stories so now that it's summer I will be able to really think things through with this story. Get pumped for the next chapter(s) because they are going to be exciting :D

You know what to do. RR&E!

* * *

><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 16: On Call

Elias sat on the end of his bed watching the television as it reported the attack of Albion. "As more information about the attack is uncovered, more devastation is revealed. The confirmed death toll is rising close to a hundred while the list of missing persons remains at about double that. We expect as time increases, much of the missing will either be considered dead only adding to the casualty count." He was so intently focused on the coverage one would suspect he was looking right through the television. "It is still unclear about the motive behind the attack, or who's responsible but speculation has it that it may be related in juncture with the issues between the Kingdom of Acorn and the United Federation being called _The Research Affairs_. Matriarch Saren-ca is currently speaking with President Martin and King Elias." He had been up all night watching.

But whether he was actually soaking in the program or just using the static as a backdrop for his musing, it didn't matter. He had a lot of things on his mind. He sat contemplating; wondering about his position as king, wondering about life in general, wondering about who he was. Maybe it was a mid-life crisis or maybe he just couldn't shake the strange ruse of why this issues he was currently dealing with was bothering him so greatly.

"Elias, you've not once turned off that television. Come to bed." Megan beckoned at the troubled king. She was sleeping for the most part but it was only a matter of time before the white noise from the tube woke her from her slumber. But regardless of her request, there was no response from the king. "Elias?" She called out disheartened.

"I know this is Hook's work. It couldn't be anyone else's. Back when Eggman was around it didn't seem like this. It was normal. He was always there, always a threat, and always on our minds. There were instances where things were bad; the destruction of Knothole, the Egg Grapes, the Death Egg Mark II, Naugis. But I don't know why this Hook guy seems more frightening then all of that." Elias started to give the slightest insight on where his mind has been for in the recent times.

By now Megan had crawled over to him on the other side of the bed and sat behind him. She draped her hands over his shoulders and let them slide down onto his chest, ruffling through his fur. "You're worried for your people. The past threats were familiar. You knew the enemy. This new foe is different, unknown."

Elias took his right hand and grasped Megan's hands as they met in the center of his chest. "And this attack. Albion ensured that they have never had any confrontations from Hook like we and the U.F. did. They lied about their notes as well."

"It's all a matter of politics sweetie, you know that." Megan explained as she gave a light kiss on his neck.

"Terrible politics." He added. "We need another Convention like Soleanna. I want to get Sally, Sonic, and the rest of the Freedom Fighters more involved."

"Well, get it done then." His partner suggested with a light chuckle. "This is a terrible tragedy. We both know that. I'm absolutely terrified. What if that was here? What if it was the Castle that just luckily escaped the blast like the Albion Senate Chambers?" She paused for a slight silence. "But you are strong. The people you govern are strong. Albion is strong and it's your duty to rise above this. You've seen hardships and you've overcome them." She rubbed her head against his gently. "This is troublesome, but you are a good king and will see this through. You always have."

Elias smiled. He felt her sincerity as it helped him feel better. "You're my martyr, you know that right?" He moved to face her, steering away from the television for the first time in hours, and placed his hand on the back of her head as he stared into her eyes. "You're there for me even with all the troubles I bring you with my position."

"You know it's because I love you." She smiled back at him. "Come on, let's get some sleep." And finally the great king complied.

….

The next day, Elias met with the Council. Though they also met the previous day to go over what kind of aid they could for Albion, today's topic was about a bit more of an offensive matter. The initial plans for the assault on the third facility have been hastily pushed forward due to the terrorist attack on the echidna nation. Demand for more preemptive action in concluding the Research Affairs was rising and something had to get done. Fast.

"Good Morning Council. Let's get started." Elias opened up. "Collaboration with Commander Tower of G.U.N. has shown prudent in this next mission. Seeing as this facility is technically under our sphere of influence it made sense that this is a job for the Freedom Fighters. They will be briefed and called in later today to go over mission details and objectives. Satellite reconnaissance has shown increased activity around the facility meaning the possibility for a hostile insertion is likely."

"Do we know what we are up against?" Penelope asked.

"Yes and no. We know it is not like Security Outpost 057 and does not have a hidden infrastructure underneath the facility. It looks like just the facility is all that there is. Unfortunately we do not know what lies inside, whether it be the same as what was described by Lien da with the fourth facility or whether it is something different we don't know. Some form of resistance is to be expected."

"According to Lien da's accounts there was some crazed assassin that picked off her team. I suspect you are aware this may happen here as well?" Rosemary now questioned.

"It may. But I have trust in the team's abilities. We have also planned in and have been very attentive of this detail. Again, since we do not know what we are up against we are just looking to scope out the place and see if we can dig anything up. We know Hook is good at what he does but we've dealt with him successfully and that was when we weren't even expecting to. Now that we have a plan I feel we will be better off.

"After some thinking I have decided to convene a Second Soleanna Convention at which the echidna nation will be involved. It will be after this assault on the third facility and we will discuss whatever findings are uncovered there. We also will be talking about all that has happened in recent times. I feel the more active we are with this situation and the more vantages that are brought forth will be most effective in getting to the bottom of this." The king continued on his explanative rant.

"I completely agree with the need for another convention. Have we considered however bringing the Freedom Fighters more into the picture? I know it was decided at the Soleanna Convention that they would be kept out of the know until needed for a mission but their direct involvement could be a good thing." Rotor suggested, knowing firsthand how the Freedom Fighters could help.

"I am glad you brought that up and I have actually thought the same. I plan to bring it forward with Tower and Martin as well as Saren ca and whoever else will from Albion that will be involved in this matter." Elias answered back.

"Is there anything else needing to be discussed for this upcoming assault?" Bennett now spoke up to ask.

"Nothing of dire importance. Like I said, the mission objectives and details will be given to the team before the end of the day. The closer we get to knowing what is going on, what is Hook's intentions, and what his next form of action will be, the better. Currently we know he is an overland supremacist with an unknown accomplice. He has access to old Robotnik technology and from the looks of it, has been working for a while toward what he is just now initiating. From Lien da's accounts he is interested in how legionization works. Not so much of the process itself just how it works. We also know he is aggressive as proved by this recent attack on Albion. But that's about all we know. The two notes we have received seem like some kind of personal dogma that Hook is trying to hint to us without any indication of what they actually mean. He has not asked for anything and quite frankly it doesn't sound like he is looking for anything from us. Just that he wants to see his plans in action, whatever they may be." It was a general rundown but the description was quite accurate in portraying the topic at hand. They didn't know what was going on but only knew it wasn't good.

"I think then that it would be time to call in the Freedom Fighters. The sooner they prepare for this mission, the better it sounds like. When are you planning on bringing them forward?" Sir Charles asked.

"As soon as we are done with this meeting." The kind answered.

"Give them the call then." The hedgehog responded back.

*o*

"Be the first to read it! Albion attacked! Come get your copy! International affairs rising! Read all about it! Right here!" A young otter child shouted in the streets. His baseball cap fit perfectly with his job as he waved rolled up newspapers in the air, shouting for sales.

"Damn, could those echidnas at least go a few years without something happening to them?" Sonic said in an all too normal sarcastic tone as he grabbed a paper from the young otter's hands and flipped him a dollar coin. The kid gave a nod then squirmed around more people trying to get their attention.

"Hey Sal, you hear about this?" He called out as she came walking up carrying two snow cones with the vender she bought them from a few paces behind her.

She handed Sonic one of the snow cones in exchange for the newspaper Sonic had grasped in his hands. "No, what?" She began scanning the articles. As her eye fluttered from one side of the newspaper to the other, Sonic watched in amazement on how much of a fast reader she has always been. "Oh my…" She paused as she continued reading on. Sonic just stood there watching her surprisingly patiently, just eating away at his snow cone, waiting for her to finish. She finally looked up with a distraught look on her face. "Did you hear anything from Knuckles or Julie su?" She asked.

"This is the first time I've heard of it. Do you think it's the same dude messing around with us and the UF?" He asked.

"The article says," She looked back down for a quick moment to scan the paper to make sure her source was right before she made her statement. "the origins, motives or persons behind the terrorist attack remain unknown." She quoted.

"So then, yes, it is our guy." He responded coolly, taking another spoonful of frozen ice.

"Sonic, you know there is no way to be sure. I'll call Elias. He's got to have more information on this matter." She said handing Sonic the newspaper and pulling a small cell phone from her vest pocket. Sonic rolled up the paper and held onto it as she made the call.

"Didn't he have a mission lined up for us sometime too?" The hedgehog added.

Sally stopped just before she hit the speed dial to her brother. "Yeah, we were supposed to go for a briefing tomorrow. I think he waited on some information from Lien da now that she's recovered." She continued on with calling up her brother. Again, Sonic was left waiting. His irritable tapping of his feet always pinched a nerve with Sally but she has gotten more accustomed to it in recent times.

"Oh come on…" She said, finding herself now tapping her own feet. "Damn."

"Well?" Sonic asked as Sally swung closed her phone and put it back into one of her vest pockets.

"Line was busy."

"He's probably dealing with this stuff right now! I'd only imagine something like this would throw off the governments of any nation or kingdom." He stated.

Sally gave a slight grin. "You're beginning to sound more like a man of the state more and more."

"Yeah, no thanks to you!" He responded smartly. "It's all this work with the Kingdom you have me do. I feel more… responsible." He concluded in a playfully down tone.

Sally came up to him and rubbed her free hand gently through his quills. "And there's nothing wrong with that." She smiled at him. She then turned and started walking off, letting Sonic to quickly follow.

"So what are we going to do about Albion?"

"There's the old Sonic – ready for action."

"Well?"

"I presume we're going to get called in by my brother anytime. I wish he would fill us in on some of this stuff. He knows I can piece things together much better than half of his investigators. Let alone if Nicole and I were working on it." She said a bit frumpily as they kept walking.

"Yeah, Uncle Chuck isn't letting me in on any of this stuff either." Sonic answered in a similar tone, mostly agreeing with his partner.

"Wait a second!" The chipmunk stopped right in her tracks.

"What is it?"

"Let me see that article again." He handed her the rolled up newspaper. Sonic could almost see the gears spinning in her head as she practically had her nose right on the paper's rough surface. "This picture!" She spun the paper around so Sonic could see, and pointed at a small picture toward the end of the article. "This is part of the object Antoine and Bunnie photographed from one of the crates in Security Outpost 057! It says this was analyzed to be remnants of the bomb."

"No way!" The hedgehog looked intensively at the picture, rubbing his chin in thought. "So that means,"

"It's the same guy behind it all." Sally said finishing Sonic's sentence.

Just then, right in their epiphany, Sally's phone began to buzz. It caught her off guard as she began to fumble around to retrieve it. She finally grabbed hold of it and flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Hey sis, we got another job for you and the Freedom Fighters." She looked up at Sonic as his face gleamed with excitement over the overheard words from the other end of the phone.

*o*

"Ma Cherie, I do not see why ze worries." Antoine took an attempt at comforting, with a half sincere smile on his face, as he rubbed his arm through the fur of Bunnie's shoulder.

"Because 'Twan, we've been trying for a while now to have little ones of our own and haven't got the littlest bit of grain in the feed to show for uh success." She explained as she sat on a doctor's table. It was apparent she was tense, nervously and fiercely twisting her hat within her grip. She had her eyes fixated on a particular spot on the floor and her legs rhythmically moved slightly inward then outward like small convulsions.

Antoine looked at her distraught state and, despite how his words said otherwise, he held the same fear deep down as well. "How could zere be anything wrong? It just takes some time… and, and some patience." He gave the same smile as he did before.

"Now I ain't no glunterpeck. I can see you worryin' just the same." She said still saddened and not any more the better. She moved one hand under her chin and used her fist as a headrest while the other hand lightly dangled the hat in between her legs.

"Listen." He leaned in closer and placed both his hands on her shoulders. He didn't have to squat any since the height of the doctor's table allowed Bunnie to sit a little taller than eye level with him as he stood. "It doesn't matter ze outcome. We've gotten pretty lucky through our lives if you ask me." He then moved his hands closer together behind her back until he encased her in an embrace. "We've also seen some hardships. Whatever ze outcome may be, we'll zee through it together like we always 'ave. Tu et moi."

Bunnie couldn't help but let out a grin. "Thanks."

"Now." Antoine broke away and then, almost childishly, hoped up on the table next to her. He grabbed her right hand in his left and intermingled their fingers. "When ze doctor comes back and tells us everything will be fine, we still 'ave not settled on ze names."

"Ha!" Bunnie let out a quick huff. "Well, what are we looking at? A boy, a girl?" She continued, seeing her husband's tactic in making her feel better actually was working.

"Either one." He shrugged.

"Well I was thinking of a nice gentlemanly name if we had a son. Either Mason or Elijah." She started to say all dreamily. Her legs moved from having small nervous spasms to having her feet swing forward and backward in slight anticipated glee.

Antoine smiled and egged her to continue. "And what about a girl?"

"Well," She started off. "I thought about this and I'd want her name to be Belle."

"That's a pretty name. Why so?" He inquired.

"It was my grandmother's name. Visited her a good chunk of my days as a youngin'. I figured it'd only make sense." She answered pretty coy, for some reason feeling embarrassed about such a sensitive reason.

"I like zat name! Lil' Belle D'Coolette." Bunnie giggled a little when he said that.

"What about you. What names do you like sug?" She switched roles to inquire about her husband.

"You zink I 'ave thought about this matter?" Antoine snapped back sounding all stern.

"Oh come on honey. I know you'd probably have a list of names you thought of." She said with a light chuckle at his attempt to seem all macho.

"Well…" The redness in his cheeks was clearly visible. "I did like the name Jacque for a boy. But now zat you have your sentimental reason for Belle, maybe Armand will do as well." It was now Antoine's turn to sound shy.

"Hey, I like Jacque too. Don't feel ashamed by not naming your son after your father if you don't want to. You've honored him fine." Bunnie began to rest her head sideways on Antoine's shoulder. "I'd sure be hoping you pass some heritage onto our kids anyway; Jacque. What about a little girl?"

"I was thinking either Sarah or Elizabeth."

But before they could dissect and analyze those names, they heard the handle to the door click as their doctor was coming back in. "Alright Mrs. D'Coolette, the results came back in."

"And?" Bunnie was back to her 'edge of the seat' nervousness again. She started a vice grip on Antoine hand now.

"We'll not to be cliché," The dog started off. "But I've got good news and bad news."

The room was left silent for a little bit. On a topic on whether you were able to bare children or not, that phrase doesn't seem comforting. "Well?" Antoine finally spoke up.

"We did not find any reasons as to why you _shouldn't_ bare any children," The faces of the couple brightened as if it was the most relieving thing that has ever been said to them. "But it may be quite difficult. As you know, we've been doing some blood work and found that your temporary roboticization for such a long period of time played into your genetics."

"What does that mean?" Bunnie sounded a bit intrigued albeit slight hints of fear. "Well we don't know how it would affect a baby as it developed in the womb. Have you continued to try since your last visit?"

"We haven't really since King Elias called us Freedom Fighters back into action. We figured a baby would just get in the way of whatever he be having us do."

"Probably a good choice but I don't think you'd have much to worry if you did. The reason you have not been able to get pregnant at this point is because the likelihood of pregnancy in your case has been greatly reduced. Fortunately the possibility still remains but it is a slim one. I'm sure if you are successful your body would adapt and your chances for a second child would greatly increase but as of now I'm afraid to say you'd need some luck." Bunnie and Antoine's faces dropped a bit but they were thankful there was still a chance. "But we do strongly advice more tests, especially if you were to succeed in conception, we'd want to monitor the child's development to make sure everything is alright during development." The doctor continued.

Antoine looked over at Bunnie whose head hung pretty low. He now held her right hand in both of his as his right thumb gently rolled back and forth on the back of her hand. "Thank you Dr. Hound." She muttered nearly emotionless.

"Sorry to bring you down but there's still hope." He said as he moved toward the door. "Keep in touch." And then he made his leave.

A small tear ran down Bunnie's face. "Mon amour, do not cry." Antoine beckoned.

She looked up at him and gave a faint smiled. The movement of her head caused the tear to fall on her chest. "I'm scared. This changes everything. Yes, there's still hope but at what risk? The life of the same child we've tried so hard to receive?"

"Ah, but he said they would do more tests! We walked in here with fears of not ever having children and we are leaving knowing it still can happen. Zat must account for something, no?" He placed his arm around her and pulled her close.

"I guess you're right…" She said over a smoothly inserted sniffle.

Just then, Antoine's phone started ringing. He raised the phone to his head.

"Commander D'Coolette, this is Elias."

*o*

"Work, then more work, then work on my own projects…" The two tailed fox mumbled under his breath as he lay on his back, twisting some bolt in the space above his face. And his statement seemed to be more accurate. Due to his job he spent most of the time working on whatever project his company had lined up for him. They fixed the particle accelerator they were working on a while back but of course once one project ends, a new one begins. He always loved tinkering and the fact that he had spare time to work on his own projects was great; but it wasn't the work that was bothering him.

"Huh…" Tails let out a sigh as he dropped the wrench he had in hand. He scooted out from underneath the labyrinth of metal pipes and tubes that hung suspended over him in the form of an engine and moved to a table on the side of his workshop to wipe off his grease covered hands. Though nothing less than a good scrubbing will get out the black discoloration in his fur, he moved over to a window once he saw that most of the globs of dirt and grime were off his hands. Something continued to flog his mind.

The truth was he felt stuck, alone, in that workshop. He had asked Sonic if he wanted to go hang out earlier that day but he said he had a date with Sally. He figured maybe Rotor would want to come over and do some mechanical work as well but he declined saying he had council work to do with Penelope. Tails knew from a previous conversation that Bunnie and Antoine had a doctor's appointment today, other than that, though they were still close friends, he couldn't really think of anything that he could do with the couple anyway; they didn't tend to share a lot of the same interests.

"Maybe I need to meet someone new…" He concluded, picking up a nearby opened bottle of water and proceeding to take a good few gulps from it. He placed it down and continued to stare out the window at the vacant scene beyond its pane, thinking about how to end his current lonesome relationship he had with himself.

But suddenly, in his hypnotic gaze that kept him in a constant trance, his workshop phone began to ring. He slowly moved over to it and picked it up. "Hello?" But there was no response. His face began to scrunch a bit in discontent. "Hello?" Still nothing. "Look, whoever this is, either say something or stop calling me!" He waited a couple more seconds before the clicking of a hang-up from the other end of the line was heard. Then the constant tone of a disconnected call sounded.

He pushed down the phone back on its hook and walked away. "That's like the third time this has happened this week!" Tails angrily stated to himself. Suddenly the phone began to ring again.

"Oh for the love of–!" He thumbed back over to the phone and thrusted it violently to his face. "What do you want!?" He shouted.

"Oh, Tails?" The other end replied.

"Oh." The fox felt a sudden heat rush to his head to accompany his embarrassment at the situation. "Sorry. Hello?"

"Yes… This is Elias."

Tails smacked himself on the forehead with the open palm of his free hand. "Good afternoon sir. Hey, real quick, did you just call like right before now?" He felt compelled to ask.

"No I did not." Elias answered.

"Oh. Alright, go on." The young mechanic rolled his eyes in a final expression of exasperation at his own stupidity.

"You are being summoned with top priority. If you're currently busy I will see that you will properly be excused." The king continued.

"I'm free. What do you need?"

* * *

><p><strong>Side note:<strong> I may write a one-shot about Elias. I was listening to the song "Some Nights" by Fun. and holy shit, I feel that song was written about Elias practically. Was going to do a little smidget kind of paralleling that song in the beginning of the chapter but I decided against it. I just wanted to inform you all how perfect that song is for Elias. That is all :P


	17. Assault on the Third Facility

**Author's Note:**

Alright, my chapters have been a little short recently but at least I'm writing again. I've also noticed my writing has kind of slacked a little bit (at least in my opinion) so I really would like some advice on ways to improve if you have any tips for me - the better my writing, the better the story is for you. It's a win-win situation.

With that being said, get to reading. This is the start of things picking up in the story. It'll be more action and plot unraveling form here on so I hope you enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 17: Assault on the Third Facility

There was something about the air of the situation. Nervousness, anxiety almost, excitement. Sonic raised his head up slightly to look around the cabin of the Freedom Fighter Special as it ripped through the still airspace on the approach to the complex simply being referred to as 'the third facility.' Piloted by none other than Antoine and co-piloted by his other half, the Freedom Fighters were sitting patiently, waiting to arrive at their destination. Their mission was explicit: get in, get out, stay alive. Elias, in the mission brief, drilled it into their minds that there was little to no information on any kind of defenses of the facility and judging by Lien da's accounts, they could be up against a fierce enemy. The thought was written on the faces of the heroes.

Quite some time has passed since they knowingly headed into battle. Even the thought felt foreign to them after nearly five years of peace; a long time for a group that has been fighting since their youth. As Sonic looked around, he quickly noted that he seemed to be the only one that even partially looked forward to the upcoming events. Granted, it wasn't common to be enthusiastic about heading into a battle where you have no idea what you are being put up against and that very unknown could vary the outcome of life and death. But he knew he always had an adrenaline rush; Sally often joked saying that his blood pumps through his body just as fast as he can run so high stakes and thrills are just things he needs. But behind his excitement, there was the thought that seemed to be on everyone's mind. They got lucky at Security Outpost 057. They will need skill and wits, two things that seemed quite rusty after years of not fighting.

"Approaching ze aerial drop zone in 15 seconds."

G.U.N. surveillance satellites showed that no further reinforcements have been added to the facility since initial investigation a few weeks prior. Not only that, if there were any presence inside in that time, they have not left the facility in quite a while hinting their unfriendly assassin might not be present. But they could not rule that out just yet. Images showed some defense networks which was added into the plan of attack accordingly. It was assumed to be an automated facility, a common trend for Robotnik style buildings.

As they approached, Antoine and Bunnie could see a slew of E-100 series robots leaving the facility and lining up the front of the building, ready for the attack. "It's gonna be a hot insertion. Sug'a hog, you know what to do."

"Been looking forward to this for a while now." The hedgehog sneered with a devilish grin full of both excitement and anticipation. He unstrapped his safety belt and moved toward the center of the aircraft, grabbed ahold of some grips positioned on the ceiling and swung up to where he was crouched upside down with his feet pressed against the ceiling, looking straight at the floor beneath him.

The bay door to the aircraft slowly opened up, causing the cabin to be quite breezy with all the turbulent air. And even though the rest of the Freedom Fighters were securely strapped in, they naturally fought the forces tugging on them as the air tried to slide them around in their own seats. They squinted their eyes to keep the wind and hair out of their face and held tight to the bottom of their seats. Sonic made sure to keep a firm grip as he now was staring not at the floor of the aircraft but at the ground below through the opened bay door.

Antoine quickly swooped down to a lower altitude and gave the order, "Do it to it, Sonic." Nearly immediately Sonic pushed off the ceiling of the cabin and launched himself from the jet, out the opened bay door and into the air outside. The Mark II diverged and flew off as Sonic spun rapidly in midair. He was to take out the front line while Antoine could land the aircraft with less attention. As some of the robots open fired at him, nothing he couldn't handle, he continued to spin so much of the small charges being sent his way was either differed by his spines or whizzed by in his tumbling.

In a quick drop that lasted only a couple seconds, Sonic slammed into one of the robots ripping through its torso while unfurling to land on his feet. With only enough time to look up at the other robots that faced him, he immediately jumped back into a ball and flung himself at another robot before they could take a shot at him. Bouncing from one bot to the next in a smear of a blue streak, he effectively left nothing but scraps of metal and loose bolts in his wake.

Stopping a short moment after seeing a gap in the forces from the line he just destroyed and the one that would soon succumb to be his next victim, he looked around at the destruction he just laid out. "It's good to be back!" He let out in a muffled exasperation. Turning toward the next group of E-100s that now approached, he felt the need to use his trusty old feet for the next round.

Sprinting toward them he outran any kind of gun fire that was being tried upon him. He sprinted right up to two robots that seemed to be lined up just right. He hopped in the air and curled up, using his spines to rip right through the two of them in the same attack. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Mark II land off in the distance. But it quickly disappeared into thin air as Nicole must have activated the thermo-visual camo so that it could remain hidden while the Freedom Fighters did their business inside the facility. Of course they had to get inside first.

But that was not the time for observing as Sonic returned right to action. He bolted to another unfortunate drone and leaped toward the head of the robot. Swinging his foot forward with his own natural tremendous speed, he kicked the processing unit right off the robot's shoulders, causing it to fall limply on the ground.

One by one, the Blue Blur smashed through the robots. It wasn't much longer until Sonic looked up at his next target but instead of taking another close up on the robot's insides, he saw some energy blast take it out right before he sprung for the attack. He looked behind him to see Bunnie with her palms extended forward with smoke emitting from her gloves. "Damn it Bunnie, that was mine!" He shouted out jokingly.

"Sorry suga'hog. Ya can't expect to have all the fun." She smirked.

It as a full out brawl at this point. Bunnie was shooting down the robots like the top shot she was. Antoine was splitting the robots in two with his saber. Tails often mirrored Sonic as he too curled in a ball and flung himself at the enemies but he occasionally mixed in his own attacks of flying up and dropping down on the machines. Amy of course swatted the bots with her Piko Hammer. And Sally, being the analyst that she was, coordinated and observed from the rear. Occasionally she would give little tidbits and 'heads ups' through the earpieces everyone was wearing for the mission. It never hurt to have a spare pair of eyes in case one of the fighters needed them.

As it was the job of the others to fend off the front lines, it was Sally's job to get them inside the facility. She and the handheld Nicole zeroed in on the best way to get inside. It was obvious the front of the facility had a large blast door which seemed the best option as it would give them a large escape way if they needed one. But she continued to go back on the mission brief and on Lien da's accounts. It bothered her more than it should, especially on the battlefield. One's mind should not be on the worries and fears while in action, but on the mission at hand.

"Nicole, how many entry ways are there to the facility?" She spoke to the miniature computer as she occasionally glanced up at the battle that lay in front of her.

"Scans of the facility from the Mark II as we approached indicate a large doorway in the front. There is a possibility of entry through a roof access and there is one other side entrance that appears to lead to some old administrative offices." She sputtered a quick response.

As Sally analyzed the situation, it was hard to not get caught in a trance at the show just ahead of her position. The flares from Bunnie's boots and consecutive blasts from her gloves seemed supernatural as she flew through the air while the blue and orange streaks from Sonic and Tails were a magnificent light show. And with every swing from Amy's hammer, an explosion of robot parts and guts flew through the air leaving the clinging and clattering of their crash back down to Mobius a strange musical accompaniment.

The chipmunk pressed a button on her radio receiver to signal a specific teammate. "Sonic, what's the situation?" She pressed the ear piece in a little bit more so she could audibly hear him over the chaos that was the fight she was witnessing.

"These guys just keep coming!" There was a pause in the transmission before he continued. "I can bash these bots all day but we're not going to be getting anywhere."

"Alright, keep it up. I'm going to figure something out." She smiled as she came up with another response. "Just don't get too cocky and wind up with bullet holes in you."

"What?! We were retired not dead! I don't see–" But she cut him off with a jeer and a roll of her eyes, knowing how to toy with him. She had to keep some humor going to escape her thoughts about this mission. She just felt something dreadful was going to come from it, she just didn't know how or in what way. A sigh escaped her mouth as just like that, the thought came back to her about Lien da's accounts. She didn't know if it was the thought of the six of them ending up being tortured for the next few months or the thought of her teammates lying dead from some crazed assassin that brought more fear into her. One thing was for sure though, she had to do things differently than Lien da.

She clicked another button on her receiver. "Bunnie, what's the sea of E-100s looking like from above the battle?" She quickly flipped the switch from worried princess to fireteam lead knowing the necessity of keeping her emotions off the operating field.

"Well there are a lot of them. We're knocking them out pretty easily but we may run out of juice if we keep this up forever. I think some of us are getting a bit tired." She responded.

"Copy. What's the top of the facility like? Can we gain access?" She called back. She waited a few seconds as she watched Bunnie fly a bit higher to get a better vantage.

"There seems to be a hatch we can get in through. What's your plan Sally-girl?"

"You and Tails might take the roof access while the others get in through two other ground access points. But first, we need to clear a path to the facility. Once you do, we can take a bit of a breather. Sally out."

She then clicked another separate button on her radio, one that allowed her to speak to everyone simultaneously. "Freedom Fighters, push through these E-100s. We can take a quick breather after they're down so we can catch our breath and figure out the next plan of action."

She released the button to continue to consult Nicole. "What do you think Nicole, it is a good idea to split the team up once we're inside?"

"Though it could limit any interaction with hostiles to each separate group, you know splitting up forces has its risks." She answered not entirely all to Sally's hopeful expectations.

"Yeah and that risk is what I'm worried about."

…

The dust from the massive assault had cleared away. There were no more sounds of gunfire or clatter of metal twisting and crunching together and the visual spectacular of the twirling and flying fighters had dismissed. Sally approached the others as they took their promised rest. They remained a good distance from the facility near a large pile of disembodied robots that they used for potential cover for the time being in case of a surprise attack. She noticed Sonic and Tails sitting on top of the pile laughing and joking, already exchanging stories about the fight they just won. Bunnie and Antoine however were down on the ground facing toward the facility and away from Sally's approach. She couldn't make out what they were discussing but judging by the pointing of their fingers and hand gestures, it seemed to be about the facility they were about to intrude on. Finally, Amy was propped against her hammer, exhausted. As the team lead got closer, the hedgehog's huffs became more and more distinct.

"How's everyone holding up?" Sally sounded off to the entire crew. She could see the lot of them were covered in small scratched, most likely from metal debris, and grease and oil from ripping apart the robots.

"We are of ze good." Antoine responded with a light wave and flick of his wrist. Speaking for both him and Bunnie, the rabbit didn't see it necessary to answer. The two changed their attention from the facility off in the distance to Sally and even moved closer toward the huddle.

"I don't see any bullet holes in me." Sonic smartly responded, releasing a small chuckle from Tails who in his turn to give Sally his response simply said 'I'm fine.'

"Famished. This desert is hot!" Amy panted as she stuck her tongue out. "Can we go home now?"

"Not yet I'm afraid." Sally retorted not paying the request any attention. "I have a plan of action for infiltrating the facility but I need some input as well." As the princess continued to speak, Sonic and Tails leapt down and floated, respectively, from the top of the pile to make more of a circle around Sally, listening in on what they were to do next. "There are three possible entry ways; the large one in the front, an access from the roof and a third door on the side of the facility. My initial plan was to have us split up, Bunnie and Tails take the roof access, while Antoine and I move through the back entrance and Sonic and Amy would go through the large door. We all got the brief and even Lien da's accounts. We don't want to get trapped in there like rats." It was apparent Sally's uncertainty toward the operation was playing a big part in the mission planning. "Three entry ways mean three possible escapes if one happened to be closed off. Also each path would work pretty nicely with our abilities. The back entrance leads through some small offices which would be effective for me and Antoine, the roof access would work for the flying crew and Sonic and Amy can maneuver pretty well in the open through the front."

Sonic began to cut her off not seeing exactly what she needed contribution on. "Sounds like you have this all planned out. What did you need us to help you with?"

"Well…" She didn't want to openly state it, trying to maintain locked onto the mission, but another little cautious warning couldn't hurt. "I need you guys to tell me whether you think it's smart… and safe to split up. Surveillance suggests it is unlikely anyone has arrived at this facility, but that also means no one has left if they were here. It's not hard to guess they know we are here if they didn't know we were on our way anyway. We know the threats of this crazed assassin Lien da described. I know we're no rag tag group of smugglers but if they got picked off so easily, I'm sure we could succumb to the same fate. Do you feel safe splitting up or do you want to pick an entrance and stick together?"

It wasn't usually like Sally to seek tactical input from her team, she was too calculated for that. Not only that, her words changed the atmosphere of the situation. Sonic and Tails didn't feel like joking anymore, Amy wasn't focusing on her shortness of breath and Bunnie and Antoine remained in silence, waiting for anyone to speak.

"Well we don't even know if that guy's even in there or not." Tails finally stepped up and spoke. "For all we know there could be just another army of easily destroyable E-100s."

"Like you said though, we don't know if he is in there **or** not. What if he is? He likely will have some kind of cameras to see where we are at." Amy then answered, letting her occasional intellect show.

"She 'as a point." Antoine joined.

"So go in there together then?" Sally asked for final reassurance.

Sonic walked up to her, knowing the uncertainty that was going through her mind. He rested a hand on her shoulder and gave her what she needed to hear. "It's your call Sal. You've never steered us wrong before and we'll follow you no matter what badniks we come across." She smiled at his choice of words. And with that statement, her mind was cleared and the warrior princess was back in control.

"Alright, this is what we're going to do." The others then stepped closer to the ring of plotters and listened in. "We're going to only break into two teams. Bunnie, Tails, you two take the roof access. According to Lien da's reports she said the rafters of the facility she was in were pretty dim so you may be able to stay concealed with eyes on the ground from your perch. You got enough firepower to protect yourself from anything. It'll be hard for anyone to sneak up on you if you're flying in the air anyway."

"You got it Sally-girl." Bunnnie stated with a corresponding head nod.

"The rest of us will stick together but take the back entrance through the offices. The tighter quarters will be our advantage as we will hopefully see anything come our way ahead of time. Not only that, I would suspect if there were any monitors for cameras or such, that's where they'll be. We can either disable them or use them ourselves. We don't know if there will be any more defenses set up as we get closer to the facility so we have to move quickly and on our toes incase anything is suddenly thrown at us."

"Let's do it to it!" Sonic felt the need to say.

"Alright, let's get in that building!"

They broke apart and huddled close to the pile, peering over the sides and edge to see if there was anything that might hinder their dash to the building.

"Sonic, take point." Sally commanded, knowing if there was anything, he'd be able to out run it. Without word, he moved into position in front of the pack. He looked back to see if everyone else was ready and go the agreeable shake saying they were set. "Now!" Sally shouted as they began dashing through the desert field of debris. Maneuvering around the remnants of the smashed robots and making their course. Sonic started to speed up as it was only natural for him but he made sure he stayed close to the group in case they needed anything.

They got closer and closer yet it was all silent. Nothing was coming their way. They continued to run until finally they made it to the front of the facility. The large storm door seemed bigger now that they were close to it.

"Well that was boring." Sonic dissatisfiedly stated, throwing his hands gently in the air for more emphasis.

"Sonic, this is serious." Sally called out as the crew continued to move along the side of the building with haste. It was merely the caution of the unexpected and common sense of urgency that kept them moving at their speed. It wasn't long before they finally came across a small door.

"I guess this is it." Tails determined as the group accumulated around the passageway.

"Alright, let's spilt up. Bunnie, Tails, happy hunting. And be safe. Radio me over the COMs if you find anything of interest." Sally bid them their farewell as the two began to take flight.

"Don't worry about us, we'll be fine." Bunnie called out as they flew up toward the rooftop.

"Alright, now it's just us. Amy, pop the door." Sally ordered. Amy let a light smile gleam across her face as she moved toward the door. She positioned her hammer across her shoulder like a baseball bat and got ready to take the swing. WHAM! And like that the door smacked open. Antoine jumped inside with his sword drawn in case someone inside was waiting for them. But there was no one.

They quartet slowly moved in and saw it was all dark. They could hardly see a thing unless it was illuminated by the light from the door they just busted through. The rooms were clearly empty offices. Not like the offices of normal Mobians or Overlanders but retrofitted for Robotnik's robots. There were no chairs or desks, just computers with either broken or out of commission mechanical mounts. The four slowly moved from one corner of that first room to the other, looking around at all the eeriness that was the abandoned station.

"Would help if it waz not so damn dark, non?" Antoine stated as he squinted as his eye adjusted to the dark lighted rooms.

"Nicole, is there any access to any power supplies? I'd rather not go through this place blind." Sally spoke into her handheld device as she too was looking around as her eyes readjusted. She came up to a computer board and randomly hit a few buttons, knowing that nothing would come from it without any power to the facility.

"Analyzing… I'm detecting available power to the facility. It was shut off a few weeks ago. I'm having a hard time figuring out where the master switches are but according to the facility's schematics, much of the power defers to a juncture toward the center of the complex. That may be a good point of investigation but I would strongly suggest not going in without turning the lights on first." The computer echoed through the deserted office.

"Yeah, I don't plan on going in without turning the lights on. Thanks Nicole." Sally stated as she tucked her friend back into her vest pocket. She reached into another pocket and pulled out a small flashlight. "Until then, we're going to have to deal with the darkness. Let's look around for any signs of a power switch. Keep your ears and eyes peeled." At her notion, Antoine also pulled out a small flashlight from a pocket from his uniform.

They continued to look around the offices. Sonic leaned more on curious observation than actual investigation as he tended to just poke around at the old rusted mechanic systems that used ran the operation of the facility. Trying to move the robotic arms, or hitting a series of buttons and switches on the computer boards was the extent of it. Amy worked along the same lines as Sonic, just taking in the peculiar feel of the place as she walked casually around, gripping her hammer tight in case anything jumped out at her.

Antoine and Sally scanned the room they were in until they covered one wall to the next. "There isn't much to find in this place. It all seems like it's so mechanized that there aren't even manuscripts or any kind of paper documents to give us any hints." Sally concluded. "Come on, let's move to the next room.

…

"How's it going up there with you two? Have you access the facility yet?" Bunnie could hear Sally question through their COM link. Her and the two tailed fox had managed to find the access, after some quick searching of course, and were just about to get in. The hatch had an old lock on it which was only a minor speed bump as Bunnie extended her palm and let out a small suppressed blast, just enough to knock the old lock off the hatch.

"Just about." She responded while Tails simultaneously squatted down and threw open the hatch as it swiveled on its hinges. It made a small 'bang' as it landed. He bent down and looked inside but couldn't see anything.

"We're searching for a power supply to turn on whatever lights this place may have. So for the time being, it might be a bit dim." Sally answered back.

"I'll say." Tails mumbled as he continued to peer into the darkened facility, trying but failing to capture even the slightest glimpse of anything inside.

"I hear ya. We'll be careful. Do hurry with those light though. Bunnie out." The rabbit concluded the small chat and bent down next to Tails to look inside. She redirected her speech to her current partner. "Alright Tails, let's get inside and scope this place out. I'll go in first in case we need some fire power."

"You go it." The fox replied as he worked with his utility belt and pulled out a small flashlight. Bunnie flipped a switch on the side of one of her gloves which too turned on a light. She shone it in her face just to double check that it was working alright. She jumped up and activated her boots, allowing her to slowly lower herself into the facility. She kept her right arm extended in the form of a fist, letting the light to continue to shine in front of her. Her other hand was open as it normally would be, ready to fire if need be. As she was now entirely lowered into the facility, Tails began to do the same thing, gently floating down as his propeller tails allowed him to hover with ease. He also scanned the area with his flashlight for anything suspicious.

They definitely were in the rafters as the tiny amount of light from their entrance was being reflected off the metal beams and surrounding struts.

"Let's just hope we don't run into anything we don't want to." Bunnie whispered out into the obscurity.


	18. Device Made of Fear

**Author's Note:**

Did not expect it to be this long but it just ended up that way. But trust me, it's a good one (At least I think it is). Like I said I'm working on improving my writing which is probably what contributed to the length of this one; it's a bit more descriptive I feel. This is where things speed up so I hope you stick with it.

And of course... Read, Review, and Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 18: Device Made of Fear

"This place is creeping me out Sal. And this is coming from me, not Mister Jitters over there."

"I do not zee the purpose for the jest Sonic. You seem to be the frightened one at ze moment." Antoine responded the smart alec hedgehog with a humorous tone as he moved from one office-like room to the next.

The four Freedom Fighters that remained on the ground search had finished checking out the initial room of the darkened facility. They were very cautious as to not get jumped by anything that could possibly arise from the perpetual unknown; they still had no idea if there were any hostilities in the building and continued to move forward nearly blind regardless.

"I'm with Sonic. I don't like this at all." Amy agreed with Sonic as she took slow, tip-toed steps while squeezing the grip on her hammer and shifting her eyes from side to side.

Unfortunately, Sally was in the same boat. She still didn't know why it was bothering her so much but she had a terrible gut feeling, mixed with anxious fear, that something dreadful was going to come from this mission. She felt her heart pounding faster and faster the deeper they moved into the darkness. Was she just unaccustomed to the operative mindset after years of peace? Or was the fear of some crazed assassin waiting to pick them off one-by-one what was eating at her. She reverted to the same tactic as when her thoughts were bothering her during the assault earlier and tried to focus on the mission at hand.

"I know it's uncomforting but we've got to keep going. Our first priority would be to find some kind of lighting in this place." Sally called over to the rest of her team as the beam from her flashlight danced from one side of the room to the other in an instant, occasionally clashing with Antoine's as his did the same.

The group continued to search the offices to no avail. The autonomy of the facility left no room for any kind of manuscripts or any other pertinent information that could be of benefit to the seekers. They figured the only place where some kind of information on the building was stored was in the larger computer banks that they stumbled around in the pitch dark. Another upset was that the only way to access those computers was to turn the power on first. It was a Catch 22.

After clearing the second room, they moved onto the next one. Seeing as Sally and Antoine were the only ones with the flashlights they were stuck with most of the investigating. The deal wasn't so bad however as the two powerhouses that remained were left to stay guard and watch to make sure they weren't attacked. But behold another room that returned nothing to the facility's intruders.

At this point, their search has turned out to be quite uneventful. Which in Sally's mind was a good thing. Though they haven't found anything and probably were still rolling the dice on their chances to stumble upon the power to the place, they hadn't run into any trouble. But that also came as a discomfort to her. That just told her their time, and luck, was running out.

"It looks like this is the last room." Sally said as they moved into one more office, still trying to keep her concerns to herself.

"Oh yeah?" Sonic questioned. The inflection in his voice could paint a picture of how high his brow raised at her assumption made in total darkness. "And what makes you say that?"

She flashed her light in the direction of the opposite wall to which a glared reflection of the light indicated a glass window; most likely one that had the facility's main area. "That window. Not only that, Nicole's scans indicated only a few of the administrative rooms we just passed through." She explained with added information.

"So that means we're going to be in the open if we don't find anything in here right?" Amy questioned quite unsure as she ignored the sweat build-up between her hands and the tight grip of her hammer.

"I'm afraid so. We'll just have to be on our toes." Sally instructed.

Suddenly, a small clank sounded with a soft echo in the large room on the other side of the office wall. The foursome froze immediately with the sound. Eyes widened and heart rates increased. Motionless for what seemed like an eternity, they heard nothing more which only brought continued fear into their minds.

Calming only slightly enough to move from her stationary position, Sally conjured up the courage to step toward the window that opened up to the rest of the facility. She slowly tiptoed to the pane and cusped her hands on her face and the window, around her peripheral, to get rid of the small glare that remained on the window. But nothing decided to reveal itself in the vast blackness as she peered through the glass.

"Hard to tell, but I don't see–" But almost supernaturally, two red dots emerged right in front of Sally like fearful sparks that sent chills through her fur. The fright caused unnatural effects; her eyes dilated so much she practically had night vision. She felt an instant of freezing cold then searing heat as her reflexes caused her to push away from the glass. The instability of her state caused her to lose footing and she screamed as she fell on her back.

"Sal!" Sonic shouted as he flinched seeing the drastic change of state she just experienced.

"Ou-outside! Two dots! HE'S THERE!" She shouted while pointing toward the window. Her heavy breathing destroyed whatever composure she had at that point as her constant fears since arriving at the facility were realized. But that didn't stop Sonic.

Just as Sally finished her realization, Sonic burst through the door to the rest of the facility without even the slightest hesitation to open it manually as it would take half a second more than he desired. Amy and Antoine were right behind him with their weapons of choice wielded. Sonic stood on the other side of the wall now separating him from Sally and looked around, waiting for the slightest hint of the presence of the one Elias and Lien da warned them about.

"Show yourself!" Sonic shouted with clenched fists as the adrenaline surged through his body. His head swiveled around to try and visualize any kind of movement.

"Sonic look!" Amy called out from behind the blue hedgehog. He immediately turned hoping to see their feared foe but instead saw two small flame-like juts out in the distance. From the small amount of light from the flames and the little that bounced off the facility rafters from an opening in the ceiling, he was able to conclude that the fires must be from Bunnie's boots as they thrust her to hover as she did. As he continued to look around, and being able to see only a few inches from his face, he noticed he must have been on some sort of platform judging from the hand rails in front of him. He looked over the edge but couldn't see anything below which seemed to be the norm at this point.

But the silence of the abandoned facility was once again broken as the loud boom of a single gunshot resonated off the large facility walls. Instinctively, Sonic Amy and Antoine went into a crouch to remain low to the platform they stood on to avoid the gunfire. Soon after, many successive yet softer suppressed blasts were heard as the trio looked up to see the blasts coming from just above the hovering flames. Bunnie had gone into defense mode as the apparent blasts from her gloves circulated the rafters as she fired consecutively in a line like she was trying to hit something that moved quite fast, dodging every shot.

The three got up to rush to her aid but the action was rather quickly thwarted as they still couldn't see anything. Antoine, however, while getting up from the ground rammed his head against some metal case that protruded from the wall behind him. Combined with the skittish mentality of Sonic and Amy, the smack and corresponding 'oof' had them turn to their counterpart only to see the metal box he hit his head on and the fact it had a large lever attached to it. Hoping for the best, Amy threw her hand on the lever. She looked back at the scene of Bunnie, noticing that she stopped firing, and witnessed her jet out of the opening in the ceiling that was clearly her and Tails' entrance to the facility.

'Here it goes.' Amy thought as she tossed the lever down. A loud click was heard and one by one, the upside-down bowls that hung from the now visible ceiling slowly grew brighter as the light from the very bowls took some time to warm up. She found the power switch to the facility.

The fading in of the lights was not only a godsend but kept them from being blinded, and possibly attacked if that were the case, as their eyes adjusted to the changing light. They looked around to see nothing but stairs to the rafters, paths to other platforms, and a large room-like box on the ground below where they stood. They turned to see the large storm door that they contemplated entering through and noticed the room below their position was in a pit, lowered from the normal ground level.

The three that stood on the brink of the large facility snapped back toward the mission at hand once they heard Sally call out to Bunnie over the radio. "Bunnie!" She still had some haste in her voice but it seems her moment of incapacitating fear had surpassed. "Status report! What's going on?"

Sonic Amy and Antoine could do nothing but listen in from the panicked voice emulating from the handheld device in the room behind them.

"Ah– Ah don't know. Thought I saw something, T–Tails is shot. I– I'm picking up the Special for extraction!"

…

"You see anything Tails?" Bunnie asked her battle buddy as the two continued to hover around the rafters of the large facility.

"Is that a joke?" He responded, continuing to scan the immediate area with his flashlight.

Bunnie did the same with the built-in flashlight on her glove. "Let's land over there, there seems to be a platform we can stand on to figure out how to find whatever needle we're looking for in this haystack." Tails followed her as she lightly glided over to the place she mentioned. She remained above the platform for one last second before cutting off the thrusters of her boots causing a soft landing from the small drop. They were not too worried about running into anything high up in the beams of the large building so they took this time to plan.

Tails looked slightly over the edge to see if anything was visible on the ground below but to him it seemed he was higher up than what he expected judging from the height of the facility. "We'll we're obviously going to have to hit the ground level at some point. I don't suspect anyone would have anything hiding in a hard to reach place like this. Not even Eggman was that crazy." He joked.

"Yeah. I wonder what's with this place though. No signs of any suspicious activity until G.U.N. found it. This guy must be good to have this place hidden for so long, huh Sug." She stated in contemplated conversation. "Do you think it'll be a good idea to just go straight to the bottom and scope this place out from the ground up?" She reverted the conversation back to its original purpose.

"That's an option." Tails answered rubbing his chin, even though it probably was hard for anyone to see the gesture with both his and Bunnie's lights pointed at their feet. "You have some fire power so if we run into any trouble we aren't helpless. Plus we could easily fly up to make a getaway if need be." He continued playing analyst on this one.

"So it looks like we should get goin'." Bunnie concluded as her boots kicked on and she began to hover a good few inches above the platform they had their rendezvous on. Tails nodded back, despite the visibility of the gesture again. He lightly stepped off the platform and began twirling his tails so that he wouldn't fall to the distant ground below. The two moved away from the platform and began looking around.

Something caught Bunnie's eye however and she snapped her head in the source's direction, frightened. But as she studied what grasped her attention, she could see small lights behind what appeared to be a glass window. Her frightened state quickly changed as she let out a smirk. "Looks like Sally Ant and the others haven't made it that far either." She said jokingly and flashed her light in the direction of the glass window to show Tails what she was talking about.

Tails let out a light huff. "We might scope this place out before they even get to the main room." But two's joking was cut short as a light 'clank' sounded through the facility. It sounded artificial however but the sudden stir that informed him and Bunnie that they might not be alone put them on high alert regardless.

The two remained still, hovering over the vacant space that held nothing but air between them and the far ground below. Bunnie started to panic slightly on the inside knowing that her boosters would be a dead giveaway and that she might be first if any kind of hostilities arise. The terribly frightening silence was so stagnant that even the slight swooshing of Tails' tails could signal a deaf man to their position. But they remained as still as stones, moving their heads only slightly to look around for any signs of another presence.

Another sound arose from the abyss which sounded more like gears turning. If it weren't so dead quiet, the two wouldn't have been able to hear it.

It wasn't until a loud crash occurred that the two finally moved as they jolted in response. They looked down and could see the outline of Sonic Amy and Antoine on their side of the glass that Bunnie pointed out earlier. Her and Tails didn't even notice their heavy breathing at that moment until they choked up a few sighs of relief.

"Damn suga'hog is going to give me a heart attack scaring me like that!" Bunnie responded to the hedgehog busting through the door that stood between the main facility chamber and the offices the other four members of the team were scoping out.

She turned around toward Tails and saw a similar smile on his face as he too was startled by the actions of his old friend. But the smile quickly changed to a mix of shock and pain as a loud "BANG" ripped through the still air. Recovering from the instantaneous flinch, she shined her light back on Tails only to see his white chest spattered with the red of his own blood. His flashlight slipped through the now loose grip of his hands and made a few clanks as it hit something metal beneath them.

"Tails!" Bunnie shouted while the fox began to drop from his mid-air position as he lost the strength to keep his tails twirling. In a last effort, Tails raised his hand and pointed in a direction behind Bunnie. She caught him before he could fall from the air and threw him around her shoulders. He was older, taller, and bigger now but she could still maneuver the smaller body around. She spun to where Tails pointed at and immediately began firing blasts from her hand that wasn't being used to hold Tails into place on her shoulders. From the light that arose from her discharges she could see a sentry gun mount in the corner of the facility. Adjusting her aim, she sent three immediate shots at the gun successfully destroying it so it couldn't claim another victim.

Whether it was in horrific confusion or not, she swore she saw something move quickly in her peripheral as it skidded through the rafters of the facility. She turned again and fired continuous shots to chase after whatever she saw. But there was no visible object in sight, not even from the light that was generated from the blasts from her gloves. 'Alright Bunnie stay cool.' She said to herself, second guessing whether she actually something or not.

But Tails' light moans brought her back to the situation at hand and immediately she jettisoned out of the facility through the entrance she used not too long ago.

"Bunnie! Status report! What's going on?" She heard Sally frantically ask over the radio she still had plugged in her ear.

Adjusting slightly to tap the response button, she answered. "Ah– Ah don't know." Blood pulsated through her body at a rate she didn't think was possible. She was shaking uncontrollably and the air that whizzed by in her flight didn't give her any aid. "Thought I saw something, T–Tails is shot. I– I'm picking up the Special for extraction!"

She closed the radio channel, figuring she could talk back to Sally once she made it to the Mark II. "Come on Tails. Oh, Miles Prower, stay with me!" She stated to herself, hoping to save the young fox.

Tails' head was draping next to Bunnie's ear and she heard Tails mumble. "Miles… I've always liked that name."

'Shit, he's going into shock.' She thought to himself. She could feel the blood from his wound leak down her neck and onto her back as they glided toward the still invisible jet aircraft. She adjusted one last time to hit a small device located in a vest pocket which nearly instantly revealed the jet.

She landed right outside the bay door. Now that she was on solid ground, it was much easier for her to deal with the small device in her vest pocket. She pulled it out and hit another button to open the bay door and dashed inside as quickly as she could with the extra weight on her back. She laid the injured Freedom Fighter on the seats and immediately ran to the med kit on the wall of the hold and ripped it from its hooks. She popped it open and fumbled its contents for the biofoam to clog the wound. Finally finding it, she gave no hesitation to shoot its contents into Tails' open wound, watching nervously as it went right to work. Tails must have passed out because the usually painful process of the expanding foam didn't faze the injured fox.

Not bothering to put the med kit away, she strapped him in and jumped into the pilot seat, nervously looking down at all the controls. Antoine was the usual pilot of the aircraft, not her. Though she was taking lessons with Antoine and occasionally handled the controls, she was not yet a pilot. She closed her eyes and gripped the joystick, thinking of how the thing worked. 'Throttle… Brake…Vertical controls…' She rummaged her memory but her panic was taking control and not allowing her to think clearly. Her eyelids flung open in further panic, realizing that every second was another second that could cost Tails' life. Every second could mean another one of her teammates getting taken out back in the facility. Every second was essential.

She cleared her mind quickly and then instantly thought of a plan. She flicked on her radio again to hear Sally calling out to her. "Bunnie! Bunnie! Are you there?!"

"I'm here. Tails is–" She could still feel her voice tremble as she tried to speak. "Tails is in the back. I gave him some biofoam for the wound. I'll being over there shortly to pick you guys up."

"Mon amour, are you feeling ze comfortable flying?" She could hear Antoine talk over the radio now. In all honesty, she didn't feel comfortable at all. But she knew she had to do it, and she couldn't fail.

"I– I'll be fine." She quivered in her response.

"I 'ave ze checklist in ze overhang. Read through it." Her husband stated in his final response through the radio before Sally continued.

"Bunnie take your time. Get comfortable and when you are, come get us. We'll be fine here in the meantime. The biofoam bought Tails a few hours; you just saved his life. Sally out."

…

"Alright. Bunnie is going to get accustomed to the controls then head over and pick us up." Sally relayed to her team as the four of them stood in the final office room. She had regained her calm and collected leadership standing after the incidents that occurred. She still contained much fear but again she was trying to keep that to herself. "Thank Aurora we found the lights to this place. If there is someone here, we have a better chance of surviving than getting picked off in the dark." The hums from the computers were white noise in the background of their strategizing and came to be a welcoming distraction for the princess. "Nicole, can I upload you to the mainframes here so we can study this facility and its purposes?"

Sonic redirected his attention toward his feet in amongst the side conversation, thinking and hoping that Tails would be fine. The others must have the same thing on their minds he figured. But he knew, partly through Sally's inspiration, that he had to stay focused on the mission at hand. He just couldn't help but worry. He had Tails by his side as long as he could remember and with the exception of the blood in their veins, they were very much brothers. He didn't want to lose his only brother. But he snapped his head back up as the artificial lynx's voice chimed in.

"I don't see why that would be a problem." Nicole complied then continued. "The idea might actually prove beneficial. I could control any defensive armaments and surveillance and warn you guys if anything arises."

Sally smiled. "Alright, I'll upload you into the system and we'll pick you up on our way out." She moved over to one of the computers, extended a wire from the handheld AI and inserted it into the mainframe. She turned back to the other three in her party and continued laying out the game plan. "Nicole said earlier that much of the power to this place was directed toward a central point. Judging by the fact that most of the pipes and structures lead to that room in the central pit that Sonic pointed out, that must be the purpose of this place. Let's head down there, see what's going on then make our leave."

The four disembarked on their way to the central room. They still moved slowly through the facility just to make sure they didn't hit any snags or hostiles but at least they knew where they were going and could see the ground at the feet on their way. They didn't get a good view of the place in the scuffle that occurred the last time they were outside of the offices so they used this time to really look around.

Starting from the platform just outside the offices, they took a stairwell all the way down to the ground level of the pit.

"Guess Bunnie wasn't just shooting at nothing." Sonic pointed out as he jutted his head in an upward direction. The others looked up and saw a destroyed sentry gun positioned in the corner of the facility, still sparking from its own destruction.

"She very well could have been shooting at that assassin. Now let's keep moving before he takes us out." Sally reminded Sonic that they were still in the mission and it was not really the time for jokes.

The anticipation continued to build as the four made their way past different generators and compressors, all leading toward the room in the center of the facility. They could only wonder what was behind the solid metal walls. They made it down the stairs and through small walkways and finally landed at the bottom level.

"This place is a lot less creepy with all the lights on." Amy pointed out as they approached the large room in the middle of the pit that they now roamed. They didn't realize how low the basin in the facility went until they were at the bottom. The offices and the large storm door were on the ground level but they could see that the stairs they took from there was at least 3 flights. And the large room in the center must have been a good few stories tall.

"Whatever this place is about, it's in that room. Let's get in, get out, and get us… and Tails… back to safety." Sally ordered. The four moved quickly to the door and positioned themselves similarly to when they busted into the facility. Amy was ready to swing her hammer and lined up was the other three. With a loud 'whack' the door burst open and they moved inside.

"I'll stay next to the door in case anyone decides to follow us in." Amy suggested as she already was positioning herself out of view from the outside of the room but close enough to the door to take out anyone who stepped in.

"Good idea Amy." Sally said as they delved deeper into the room.

Her Sonic and Antoine moved in and turned the corner around the wall that separated the entrance of the room to the epicenter. But what they saw once they reached the center of the room was something they had never of expected to see in this age. Something that conjured up the deepest of fears in all of them as the slightest view of the device made recognition in their minds similar to doom.

"Sacre bleu…" Antoine let out a shallow gasp as his jaw dropped and his eyes grew larger than ever possible.

"No…" Sonic felt his heart skip a beat.

The three stood in shock, frozen with a very real premonition of future disaster mixed with war-like flashbacks that weakened their legs, just by looking at the large machine. A fully rebuilt and operational Roboticizer loomed before them like a death sentence that waited for them to step closer.

Sally spoke no words at the sight of the dreadful war machine. But her expression told it all. Her cheek twitched and her hands by her side were shaking. After a few more seconds of letting their fears be revealed at the moment, Sally snapped into panicked action. "We have to destroy it!" She started running frantically around looking for something, some way to take out the machine. "It doesn't matter how. It doesn't matter if we even make it out, we have to destroy this thing!" She turned over empty barrels and opened up different switchboxes that hung on the wall but her frantic search was fruitless.

"Sally." She felt Sonic's hand on her shoulder which calmed her enough to listen. "You're right, we have to destroy it. And that's exactly what we're going to do." She turned around to see a light grin on his face. "But you're our Team Lead. We don't need you to lose your top right now. Take a step back," She complied with his instructions, "and take a deep breath." She felt the air fill her lungs and clear her head. "Now." Sonic continued. "I don't think we're going to find a way to destroy it in empty barrels and circuit boards."

Sally embarrassingly chuckled lightly. "Heh, right…"

"Uh, guyz?" Antoine called out from the other side of the room. Sonic and Sally turned to see him holding up what looked like metal bricks. "I think this might do ze trick?" After better inspection, Sally recognized what was in his hands as satchel charges.

Immediately they got to work and placed the small bombs all over the device. They didn't know why the charges were conveniently in the same room as the roboticizer but they didn't question their fortune. Antoine dug up the remote from the bottom of the box that housed the now displaced charges and gave it to Sally.

"Thanks Antoine. Get in contact with Bunnie. Ask her when she can be over here and an immediate extraction would be preferable." She ordered and began tinkering with the charges remote. "Sonic, are they all armed for remote detonation?" She asked.

Just as she did, Sonic zipped around the large war machine a few times to double check each charge. He gave her his answer a mere second later. "All armed."

"Ma Cherie, how are you 'andling?" The coyote spoke into the radio Sally exchanged for the charge remote.

"Ah– Ah think I got it. Just have to double check everything then I should have this thing fluttering like a butterfly." The rabbit responded through the ear piece still in Sally's ear.

"Ask her how long until she can be here for extraction." Sally told Antoine.

"ETA?" He followed her command and asked.

"Five minutes tops." As Sally heard the time, she clicked a few buttons on the side of the remote for it to hold a timer of six minutes. She clicked the 'arm' button and the timer began.

"Tell her to meet us on the roof. She'll have to hover while we jump on board. We don't have time for her to land for us to board." Antoine relayed the information as Sally continued speaking. "Bunnie'll be here in five minutes. I set the charges for six meaning we have to move now. We've got to get to the roof. Let's move!"

Antoine set his watch for the detonation time andd just like that the three began to bolt out of the room. Sally stopped however. She hesitantly moved up to the Roboticizer and peer through the foggy glass. "Sal! What are you doing?" Sonic shouted at her.

She continued to look inside, making sure it was vacant. "Just double checking." She turned and ran after Sonic and Antoine.

"Amy! Is the coast clear?" Sonic shouted as they came up to her position.

She eased around the corner and scanned the facility. "Clear. Why, what's going on?" She asked so innocently.

"We need to take our leave right now." Antoine answered her question for her.

She was kind of surprised at their urgency. "What?" But Sonic grabbed a strap of her dress and forced her to move with them. She shrugged free but continued to run after them.

"Keep your eyes peeled. We still might have a hostility hiding in the shadows. The stairs and other parts of the facility will give us cover but you never could be too careful." Sally urged as they bolted up the stairs.

"What is going on!?" Amy shouted in stressful confusion.

"Let's just say we found something… and now we're blowing it up." Sonic toyed with his signature attitude.

"WHAT?!" The pink hedgehog shouted back, nearly tripping on one of the stairs in her jolt of surprise.

"We'll explain once we're safely on our way home." Sally finished her husband's tease, not letting her mind deviate from getting out in time. Amy didn't see the purpose for not telling them while they continued to move but didn't ask any further and continued to move on.

They made it back to the offices and peeled inside. Sally slid in front of the computer that still had Nicole hooked up to. "Nicole, we need you to redirect all the power toward the central room of the facility." She quickly ordered, waiting for her friend to follow out the command before disconnecting her from the unit.

"But Sally, there's a Roboticizer in there!" The AI reassured as she quickly made the discovery after being plugged into the facility's mainframe.

"A roboticizer!" Amy shouted overhearing Nicole's warning.

"I know. We've set charges all along the device. If you direct a lot of power to the thing, might be a bit of an overkill but at least we'll know that thing and this facility will be nothing but a pile of ash in a few minutes."

Nicole was silent for only a couple seconds. "Done. It's very unstable though I'd suggest– " But she was cut off.

"I love you Nicole, but we really got to get moving." Sally said as she unplugged her from the main frame. "Antoine, time."

"Trois minutes." He answered.

"Just enough to get us to the roof and away from the blast. Let's go." And so they were off again; moving through the narrow walkways in the rafters and the creaking stairs that led them higher and higher. Sally continued to look around as they traversed up, continuing to check to see if anyone was there. Surely if she saw who Lien da described, he would have made himself known now. Maybe he fled to get away from the inevitable destruction of the place, she thought. Or maybe he wasn't even there in the first place…

The four made it to the highest platform but it was a bit farther from the opening that Bunnie and Tails entered through than it appeared to be from lower parts of the facility.

"Sonic, we need you and Amy to bounce us up there." Sally quickly conjured up. Sonic nodded as he grabbed Sally's hand and quickly curled up to bounce from their platform to the opening, landing safely on the roof.

Amy did the same with Antoine in one hand and her hammer in the other. But when she made it up to the roof, she didn't bounce high enough. Her feet landed right on the edge of the roof entrance as Antoine dangled in her grip. Sonic quickly reached out and grabbed her hand to pull her and Antoine his direction, causing them to fall forward onto the roof. The two ended up face planting but it was much better than the other option.

"You've never been too good at that stuff." Sonic teased, noting how her 'hedgehog' abilities weren't quite on his or any other's level.

"Ugh," She replied rubbing her head. "There's a reason I have my hammer."

Sally wasn't tuned into their small talk however. She looked off in the distance trying to spot the Special. It wasn't hard as it was moving quite fast, making it appear larger and larger with every passing second. "I see Bunnie. Antoine, how much longer?"

"Half and one minute." He answered with slightly jumbled speech.

They waited anxiously as Bunnie advanced on their position. The jet got closer to the building's roof and it slowed down in approach. Sally extended her forearm in front of her face as a large gust of wind, carried by the aircraft, blasted the rooftop. The Mark II swiveled as the bay door began to open right in front of the rooftop gang.

They quickly hopped on and Bunnie began steering away from the facility. Antoine approached the pilot seat, "Ma Bunnie that was superfluous flying." and gave her a light kiss on her forehead. She blushed and quickly made way for Antoine to take the controls. As he did, she moved to the co-pilot seat and plopped down, relaxing her body as she had no idea how tense she was. She was sweating from the nervousness of maneuvering the aircraft like that, takeoff and all, for the first time. But it was successful nonetheless.

Sonic was in the back of the aircraft kneeled by the injured Tails. He wouldn't be considered conscious yet but his eyes slowly cracked open every once in a while. Sonic continued to rub the hair on his old friends head. He noticed two different shades of red on his red scarf, and began to remove the blood stained handkerchief.

Sally was standing outside the window, waiting anxiously for the fireworks display to occur and sure enough, the entire facility exploded with ferocity. The blast was so extensive that pieces of the building's structure were flown hundreds of feet in the air. She let out sigh of relief, knowing that a potential world threat had just been neutralized. And yet, she felt worse. This roboticizer was destroyed. But it only begged the even more frightening question: What is Hook planning?

*o*

The majority of the flight back to Acorn was quiet. A lot had happened and the Freedom Fighters were still taking it all in. Sonic was asleep, still resting a hand on the forehead of his unrelated brother. Antoine and Bunnie were finalizing their jobs taking the crew back home and Amy was passed out as well. Sally still remained standing however, waiting for Elias to get in contact with her. She had paged him a good number of times but he hadn't responded yet.

Finally her wish was fulfilling. "Elias?" Sally answered with an unnecessary habited inflexion.

"Good to hear you're still alive. Did you find anything?" He asked with a sense of relief that Sally picked up on.

"First things first, we need immediate medical assistance once we arrive. Tails has been shot. We sealed the wound with biofoam but that's only temporary."

"Aurora damn it." The king sighed on the other end of the phone. "Are there any other injuries?"

"Negative. The other thing however, inside the facility…was a roboticizer."

"What?!"

"We took satchel charges and neutralized the building though. It shouldn't be a threat but that just means Hook is up to something worse than we imagined. I didn't think this could wait for the debrief." The military princess continued.

"I see. Well I guess I can tell you something as well then. The fourth facility that was suspected to be operated by Hook was demolished a few minutes after you touched down at the third facility." Sally's face heightened in slight surprise. "It seems Hook knows we're onto him and doesn't want us to find out what he's up to. I think finding that roboticizer confirms that." Elias continued. "Did you find anything else?"

"Little." Sally responded matter-of-factly. " I uploaded Nicole into the facility's mainframe after we found the power source but she said most of the memory banks had been deleted. Possibly in anticipation of our arrival."

"I see… Did you run into the assassin from Soleanna and Lien da's descriptions?" Elias asked out of curiosity.

Sally stopped a minute. "No." She answered hesitantly.

"Very well. I'm arranging medical arrangements for Tails as we speak. He did a great deed; you all did. Good to have you home safely. We can cover more in the debrief." The king continued with his necessary talk as head of the kingdom, but before signing off, he couldn't help but let his brotherly position show as well. "I love you sis."

Sally smiled. "Love you to bro."

"Elias out."

Sally clicked off the phone and heavily exhaled. Again, she felt Sonic's comforting hand on her shoulder as he must have awoken sometime during her quick chat. "You alright?" He said sounding concerned.

She closed her eyes and turned to him, placing a hand of her own on his shoulders. "Fine."

"How come you didn't tell him of the assassin?" Sonic prosed.

Sally's hand slid down from Sonic's shoulder and into his grip. "I don't even know if he was there." She moved to a seat, redirecting him to follow as she tugged at his hand. He sat down next to her and let her continue. "Sonic, I was way too scared back there. I've been scared on missions before but this was different. I– " She paused not knowing if Sonic would like what she was about to say. "I don't think I can do any more. It's getting to me." Sonic began rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand with the one that was already clasped with hers. "It might be because we haven't been in the field for so long but… Once this whole mess is over, I think it's time to let the Royal Guard and other field operatives handle the next crisis. I think it's time for me to continue to be the princess." Her words were followed by silence as she nervously clung to the silence before Sonic's response.

"Sally. I completely understand. And I almost feel the same way. Maybe not to the magnitude, but I'm afraid too. But we'll get through this mess, we'll take this Hook guy out, and we'll all be safe and happy again."

Sally smiled at his confirmation and bowed her head as her cheeks reddened. "Thanks."

Sonic kissed the top of her bowed head. "Anytime."

* * *

><p>I really hope the 'oh shit' moment, or the few in here, went as I had hoped.<p>

Remember to review! (Especially since I'm trying to improve my writing. Let me know what you think)


	19. Second Soleanna Convention

**Author's Note:**

The much needed, in terms of where we are in the story, Second Soleanna Convention. I'm trying to keep things as open-ended to keep the reader guessing so let me know if I'm succeeding (even guests can review - it's all an effort to improve my writing and to improve the story). But some of the pieces are coming together and that will continue to happen. I am very excited for what I have planned so I hope you all keep interest.

I know it's a long story, longer than some probably prefer, but I don't see it hitting 30 chapters so that might give you some perspective. But yeah, you know what to do.

Read, Review, and Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 19: Second Soleanna Convention

Back again. It was decided that they would meet in a different conference room for two reasons: to accommodate the third party that would be joining them this time around, now that the echidnas finally loosened their pride enough to show their face, and also to send a decoy group to the first conference room as one of the many new precautions to thwart any further assassination attempts. The atmosphere breathed a serious tone as the revelation had sunk in that what they had on their hands was something much more than an international threat.

The same representatives from the Kingdom of Acorn and the United Federation that was present at the previous Soleanna Convention were already posted at their seats, awaiting the arrival of the Echidna Nation. Not many words had been spoken as they felt the need to conserve their tongues for the next few hours.

Sir Charles impatiently was twirling his thumbs as President Martin rested his head on his hand whilst his forearm was acting like a prop between his temple and the table. A pen continuously was being clicked in the president's other hand. Bennett and McCoy seemed to be the only relaxed ones as Commander Tower and King Elias both sat with their arms crossed, anxious for the meeting to begin.

The ears of the mobians' in the room perked up as they were the first to detect the voices that were heard down the hallway outside the conference room. Shortly after, the doors opened and there stood a tall red female echidna in a long and decorative garb. Behind her were two male echidnas in garbs of their own, yet theirs were not as gaudy as the woman's.

The party seated in the rooms quickly took stand as common courtesy to those entering the room. "Matriarch Saren-ca. Glad to have you finally join us in this matter." Elias stated as he walked up and shook her hand as one more sign of respect.

"Glad to join, yes. Not so glad about the circumstances surrounding it." She answered a bit wearily as she moved in and stood behind her seat. The other two echidnas positioned themselves to her left and right.

"Of course. And our deepest thoughts and sorrows are toward your nation amongst this recent tragedy." President Martin spoke up sincerely to give his condolences.

"Thank you Mr. President." Once Saren-ca took her seat, the rest of the table followed suit, ready to begin the discussion. "I feel like introductions are first in order. I was instructed to bring two of my top advisors. I have with me and Rena-lu, the Chancellor of Angel Island, and Wynmacher, Councilor of Internal Affairs." At the calling of their names, each respective politician stood and gave a light bow. "Rena-lu is second in command of the echidna nation. She oversees Angel Island while I deal mostly with Albion. Wynmacher is on the Senate and has proved to be quite the leading politician during recent events." She further explained.

"I was almost expecting to see a Guardian amongst us." McCoy added with a conversationally pleasant tone and accompanying smile which assured he was not trying to be anything but friendly.

The echidna Matriarch let out a light chuckle. "As I'm sure you are familiar with our current Guardian, Knuckles is not necessarily the 'diplomatic' type." With Saren-ca's equally friendly response, Wynmacher couldn't help but let a heavy smirk escape his face at the well-known attitude his stepson contained. "Not only that, I have employed The Chaotix to work closely with Constable Remington to maintain strict guard over Albion and Angel Island for… reasons to be discussed later in this meeting. Shall we continue?"

Once she concluded, President Martin went on to introduce Commander Tower and McCoy while King Elias did the same for Sir Charles and Bennett. Passing to the next task, the convention quickly jumped into business.

"I feel we should start with a recap." Elias started off, getting ready to collect previous events mostly for the echidnas' case seeing as they would be playing catch up most of the time anyway. "Acorn and G.U.N. has worked closely in the past few weeks to uncover as much information of this Hook character. It was recently determined by G.U.N. intelligence that another abandoned Robotnik facility was possibly active at Hook's hands. In fact a total of four had been identified: A warehouse near the outskirts of U.F. territory, a facility near the Acorn border, the Mercia facility that The Chaotix investigated, and the well-known Security Outpost 057 which we believe is the stronghold of Hook and his mysterious 'second party.'" He took a quick moment to both gather his thoughts and his breath before continuing the brief. "Of the four facilities, three have actually been investigated to some extent. The facility in Mercia, as I'm sure you are well aware of, was demolished at a failed attempt at the lives of The Chaotix. The facility outlining Acorn was recently scoped out by the Freedom Fighters to which a roboticizer was uncovered." At his statement the room fell silent. The three echidnas' faces held a similar expression of one mixed with shock, confusion, and curiosity but they withheld their anxious questions for Elias to finish. From the overlanders' side, President Martin seemed to be the only one that did not suppress his shock. "The Freedom Fighters quickly felt the necessity to destroy the facility which they successfully managed to do upon extraction. The fourth facility was destroyed by unknown causes or reasons nearly simultaneously as the Freedom Fighters were investigating the third facility. It was analyzed that this must have been Hook's doing to cover up his own tracks and to keep us from finding more about his operations."

Once Elias gave sufficient enough silence after his explanation for the others to realize he was done speaking, Commander Tower was the first to speak up. "So what about this roboticizer? Do we know what he is planning? He can't possibly have the same demented ambitions as Eggman can he?"

"We don't know. In the information I relayed to you from Lien da's confessions, she did state that Hook was interested in…" The King stopped as he looked down to scavenge through some papers that rested on the table before him. Most of them were notes and other pieces of information relative to the convention. He found the document he was looking for and began reading it verbatim. "'he was interested in legionizing. Either that or roboticizing. But not like that. He asked me if there was a possibility to reverse the machines or tamper with them or something.' So I wouldn't suggest he is looking to use the roboticizers for their original purpose but he is definitely planning to use them for something. That's for sure."

Saren-ca then spoke up. "While on the topic of Lien da, we do wish to express our desire to have her in our own custody so she can appear before a trial of the state for war crimes against her own people."

"I fully understand your wishes however," Elias began to say but President Martin butt in.

"Before you continue, I have something to say. First off, I will have to give my apologies…" Commander Tower leered over at the President, knowing what he was about to do. "The U.F. has not been entirely honest with you in recent times."

"Oh?" Elias stated curiously.

"And what by-golly does that mean?" Sir Charles blurted out, leaning a bit forward in his chair.

"It means we haven't been entirely honest with you." Commander Tower aggressively tacked on seeing as he had no other choice but to go along with the unfavorable decision made by his Commander-in-Chief.

"I believe Sir Charles meant in what way have you not been entirely honest. There is no need for hostilities." Bennett spoke with the voice of reason.

The President let out a heavy sigh as he prepared to 'spill the beans' as it were. "Prior to the investigation of Security Outpost 057, we had been looking for a fugitive that had successfully infiltrated a Tier One security facility and stole blueprints for a weapons project that was being designed during the Second Robotnik War. The project itself was defunded and closed immediately as the Freedom Fighters reported success on their final surge on Eggman, ending his reign of terror. There was no need for the weapon once the war had ended."

"Well what was this weapon?" Sir Charles inquired.

"It was one of biological nature…to a point." Commander Tower let in as he continued the President's confession. All this was new to the echidnas so they just sat and listened in. "The weapon itself was not even in the preliminary designs yet. Most of what was done on Project Glass was simple research."

"But the research provided astounding discoveries." The President took back the spotlight. "Once the project was dissolved, the findings fashioned from the research boosted medical advances, scientific studies on microbiology, and even produced many compounds that started the mass upspring of regenerates commonly used in hospitals for burn victims and in many cases, ex-legionnaires for them to cover-up their enhancements so they could assimilate back into society."

"Are you saying these advances came from a top secret defense project?" Saren-ca coined in.

Commander Tower gave a light chuckle. "You would be surprised how much of modern technology has risen from military research."

"But why would the research be so guarded and then pursued once it was stolen?" Wynmacher asked, continuing the contribution from the echdinas' end.

"Well remember, it was originally intended for a weapon. It could easily be used for such." McCoy added with his normal ominous and mysterious tone.

Elias continued to maul over the whole situation. But something didn't seem to fit. If the U.F. was hiding this from them, what is the importance of them telling this now? How did it have any relevance to the situation at hand? He knows the material on the 'stolen train' that led to the third facility was a regenerative material but if the facility only housed a roboticizer, how would the regenerative play into effect? He then traced back to the beginning of the conversation. "President Martin, you said a fugitive stole the research for the project. Do you know who this person was?" He asked which drew a somewhat frightening silence to the room.

"The criminal is none other than Lien da." King Elias' eyes squinted at the President's statement.

"It seems she didn't reveal everything to you." Commander Tower smartly added before the President continued speaking.

"We had tracked her down to Security Outpost 057 a few weeks before sending Team Dark in to find her. That was their primary objective. We do not know what Lien da did with the research or what she intended to do, nor did we know about this Hook guy when we went in to find her. We figured Security Outpost 057 was being used as a base for some underground terrorist group that planned to use the research she stole for disastrous intentions. The intercepted messages we originally informed you about was in fact legitimate however. We feared the most which is why we informed you about the third facility and the shipment that was taken there hoping that if the place was investigated, we'd know more about Hook's intentions with the regenerative material he had been stealing."

It was a lot to take in. For Elias, Sir Charles, and Bennett to think they had been collaborating with G.U.N. and the United Federation for a number of months now yet they withdrew this information from open air instantly formed distrust between the mobians and their overlander allies. However, they knew that quarrels amongst who did or didn't say what, was not the thing they needed to attend to with the current threat that only seemed to get larger and larger with each spoken word.

"So let me get this straight." Elias tried to analyze everything as he began to capture the moment with noticeably angry words. "There is a very large chance that Hook has had his hands on highly sensitive research that could be used as a major weapon…and you're informing us of this just now?!" He shouted.

His angry tone didn't sit well with the overlanders. "Excuse me, _your majesty_ but we have been doing everything we can to keep this under control." Tower made his rebuttal.

"Typical overlander treachery." Rena-lu mumbled to herself.

"What was that?" Commander Tower spoke up, only slightly hearing it.

"Rena-lu, watch your tongue!" Saren-ca demanded with a quick response. "Please, continue." She beckoned, wishing to hear more to get caught up with what was going on now that she has chosen to get involved only a little late in the game.

"What I don't get is why you withheld this information from us." Sir Charles spoke up whilst aggravatingly tapping his index finger on the large conference desk.

"There is a reason for everything." McCoy simply choked up nonchalantly.

Sir Charles stood up and slammed his open palms down on the table. "Alright, I am sick of all your ambiguity. If you seem to have so many secrets, why don't you let us know so we can figure this out!" He bolstered his apparent distrust for the character as he seemed way too ominous for the older hedgehog's liking.

"Sir Charles, please sit down!" Bennett called out to the fuming mobian.

"I too am getting weary of your shadiness, even if it is your trade Mr. McCoy." Elias stated more coolly than his counterpart, yet still discerned his uncertainty.

"Mr. McCoy was the most trusted and most skilled at covert investigations before his retirement. I trust him with my life! If you are saying you don't trust him, then I don't trust you." President Martin enthusiastically exclaimed in retaliation.

"How do you know he is not keeping secrets from you?" Rena-lu spat out again with a surprising distaste, especially for someone who was just introduced to the other parties and the topics at hand.

"You are right that I have many secrets locked in my head, yet who I keep them from is an issue of mine alone." The man's lone-wolf statement earned him an appalled leer from the U.F. President. "We are getting distracted from the topic at hand. We have informed you of what we failed to inform you last time so what is done is done. Let's continue on figuring out what are Hook's intentions and where he may attack next." The intellectual politician then turned to the echidnas. "I believe it is your turn to give an account from your perspective seeing as we have done so already."

"Thank you Mr. McCoy." Saren-ca responded. The fumed Sir Charles took his seat as he was still elevated from his previous outburst. Rena-lu continued to host shifted eyes between the three overlanders. "Wynmacher, do you wish to start off?" She asked, passing the torch to the most silent representative up to this point.

"Thank you Matriarch." The man stood up as was natural habit due to the Robert's Rules process of legislation in the Senate Chambers he worked in. "You all know we've been attacked so I will not go too greatly going over that, more so I will be going over what we've found because of it. It's true that we have been receiving notes just as the Kingdom of Acorn and the United Federation has but we felt it necessary to remain silent as echidna history has shown that as soon as we reveal ourselves to the rest of the world, we get the short end of the stick. Well now that we have had an attack on our homeland, we officially are 'involved.' Through the attack, our Constable Remington had found what was determined to be a remnant of the original bomb. Due to the shape of the blast, and the artifact Remington found, it was concluded that the bomb malfunctioned and was intended to consume the Senate Chambers in the blast as well, killing much of the echidna political leaders seeing as we were in session at that time. Saren-ca and I stand before you only by the grace of Aurora. We have no clear evidence that Hook is behind the attack but it seems he is the only possible threat seeing as we have fostered no enemies since the fall of the Eggman Empire and have been secluded in rebuilding our shattered society."

Elias took this time to note the connection Sally had made and informed him about upon seeing the pictures of the bomb fragments in the newspaper the day of the attack. "If I may," Wynmacher gave a light wave of his hand to signal his approval of the interruption, even though Elias didn't take the time to wait for it. "The pictures of the fragments that Constable Remington uncovered match photos taken by Bunnie D'Coolette at Security Outpost 057. Two spheres were resting in a crate that they had opened up. It was not known at the time what the sphere were but clearly that's apparent now."

"That makes sense, seeing as there was an emergency call recorded mere seconds before the blast stating that…" But the echidna stopped. He looked hesitantly over to Rena-lu, whose eyes were still locked on the overlanders, then over to the overlanders themselves before continuing. "a suspicious sphere was found underneath a fruit cart in the Bogside Market which was the epicenter of the explosion. Reports state that it was witnessed that an overland boy placed it there." The echidna took his seat, concluding his report.

"What?" Commander Tower spoke out.

"I don't suspect you know anything about this do you?" Rena-lu extorted.

"Alright, I am getting some bad vibes from you echidna. What is your problem because it looks to me we are here for _diplomatic_ means. We don't have time for your passive aggressiveness." Tower spat back.

"Due to the findings, and the accursed media," She added. "hype has raised distaste for overlanders in some parts of the Echidna Nation. Some are willing to claim that it was an overlander attack based on racism and thoughts of genocide." Saren-ca said as she snapped her head toward Rena-lu. "I did not know however how Rena-lu felt on the subject before now." She scowled.

"Sounds familiar." President Martin mumbled loud enough for the others in the room to hear.

"Explain." Bennett ushered while not sounding too demanding.

"Well another thing we've have kept silent on:" Elias raised his head slightly to hear more of the overlanders' cover-ups. "Our infrastructure has been compromised more than we have let you know. For quite some time before the first notes were received, we had been tracking a hacker who started off as a mere nuisance to our Department of Defense. Later we began noticing different aspects of the nation's structure 'failing.' Banks started to lose money, and then money would magically appear in their systems. Files from government computers were being hacked into and deleted. The economic state has been disrupted and is in turmoil. Our entire grid became chaotic in the sense of uncertainty on which parts of the system were real or fraudulent. The best example of this is the shipment of regenerative material sent to the third facility. We had no idea what was in the cargo or where it came from. Our system was so hacked that such pertinent information was rewritten to the point where the only way to track it was to send in Team Dark, not through the VIN like we previously told you. All this internal destruction still continues and is getting worse and worse. The people are in a panic. We fear someone is trying to take down the U.F. from the inside out." President Martin responded almost sorrowfully with a hint of shame.

"Why was this kept from us as well?" Bennett asked curiously.

"Unfortunately this was mostly because of pride." Martin answered.

"Do you suspect Hook has been behind it all?" Bennett asked.

"We know he is. Subliminal propaganda has spread throughout the U.F. making claims that mobians were behind the infrastructure collapse and that Acorn and the Echidna Nation were teaming up as kind of a Brutus in amongst the Research Affairs. Similarly to what Saren-ca was describing, we have much of our population voicing strong anti-mobian opinions. We figured it was none other than Hook behind all of this once it was relayed to us from Lien da's confession that he had a strong distaste for mobians." Martin continued.

"It seems he's trying to turn our nations against each other." Saren-ca made the conclusion.

"Then if he doesn't like mobians, why would he go through so much trouble to disrupt the United Federation yet leave the infrastructure of Acorn and Albion-Angel Island in tact?" Bennett the raccoon asked curiously.

"It seems his sole purpose for deteriorating U.F.'s framework and subsystem is simply to raise an anti-mobian mindset. It would make sense that one of his goals is to turn mobians and overlanders against each other, based on the description of the man's character we already have. And it also adds to the theory that he has not made any attacks on U.F. like he did at Albion. He doesn't wish to harm overlanders, just twist their views to his superiority mindset." McCoy again played his part at piecing things together.

The room fell silent as the man's revelation left its toll on the others. They were finally figuring something out about Hook and his intentions. A hidden grin was displayed in Elias' mind as his nerve-racking state of mind that he had for many months now was beginning to get some relief.

"So we have this guy, wanting to put overlanders and mobians against each other. That can't be all he's after though. What about this 'research' of his and the recording of this Dr. Niven during the Xorda invasion? What about the roboticizer and this assassin counterpart of his? I'm glad we're scratching the surface to this man's plot but we've only just done that." Sir Charles continued with further questions about what they have not yet figured out. Elias' short lived relief concluded as though they had figured something out, they still had many unanswered questions.

"I apologize for the ignorance but we still do not know the extent of your two nations when it comes to Hook. What research are you talking about and who is Dr. Niven?" Saren-ca asked trying to get more familiarized with the situation.

"The apologies are on us Matriarch." Elias exclaimed. "The research is somewhat of an ambiguous term referring to what Hook is up to according to the first note. The research involves a large portion taken from a recording uncovered by The Chaotix in the plant at Mercia. In the video Dr. Niven was an ancient being called a human that used to live on Mobius over ten thousand years ago. I'm sure you are familiar with the Xorda which made themselves known many years ago with the Quantum Dial incident. Well Dr. Niven did research on the Xorda. Along with Hook's interests in genetics, the information taken from Dr. Niven's recording, the regenerative material and roboticizers in the facilities and now the apparent biological research stolen from G.U.N., 'research' could be anything. As you know from the notes you received, he is very cryptic with his warnings." He concluded explaining.

"But regardless, his research includes us all?" The head echidna asked to make sure.

"Correct." The U.F. president chimed in.

"So then what is going to happen next?" Rena-lu spoke up.

"Well let's look at the information presented to us. At this point in Hook's plan he's already turning mobians and overlanders against each other. From Lien da's accounts he is interested in genetics, interested in how the roboticization and/or legionization process works, and is dealing with a lot of different regenerative chemicals…" Bennett drew together.

"You don't suppose he's trying to…somehow, turn Mobians into Overlanders… do you?" Wynmacher pitched the seemingly absurd plot.

President Martin looked over at McCoy hoping he would either make agreements with the echidna or reject the idea with good reason. But the man sat like a statute with his index and middle finger on his right hand pressed up across his lips in contemplation.

"I feel like that's a possibility. Seems a little farfetched but Robotnik was able to turn mobians into robots. That seems like fiction but I experienced that first hand! So I don't see why we shouldn't rule it out. Though I don't think we should conclude that is what his plan is. If anything, it seems more like he wants mobian genocide but that wouldn't make sense in juncture with the other facts." Sir Charles added.

"Regardless of what his true plan is, what would be his next move and how do we prevent it?" King Elias questioned, rubbing his chin.

"Think. Getting the U.F. to turn against Mobians has been a process long in effect and the attack on Albion seems to have recently caused the echidnas to go against overlanders. It seems Acorn is next." Wynmacher suggested.

"It's true." McCoy finally spoke up. "We may not know what he is going to do but King Elias, I'm afraid your next. And seeing as Acorn is majorly a mobian kingdom… expects some casualties." The words shot fear into the already anxiety filled heart of the Kingdom's ruler. But he was able to keep his composure to bring forward the next issue he wished to discuss.

"May I make a proposal?" Elias spoke up.

"I don't see why not."

"Our previous agreement was to keep the Freedom Fighters and Team Dark out of the loop unless they are needed on a mission. I think it's time we over turned that." The king suggested.

"And why is that? I thought you didn't trust Team Dark enough." Commander Tower sarcastically responded.

"That time has come and gone. We don't have the luxury to hide behind personal securities. If this Hook character has to be stopped, which he must, than we have to put forth a greater effort. The Freedom Fighters can help with investigations as with Team Dark." Elias turned to the echidna representatives. "I'm sure you will be happy to use The Chaotix as your prime contacts as well." He continued to address the convention in its entirety. "If we work closely with our operatives than the combined effort should make things easier for us as well as improve our efforts to find out the next step this Hook guy is willing to take in his plan."

"It's about damn time someone makes the suggestion." Commander Tower huffed lightheartedly.

"I can comply with that." The echidna Matriarch agreed. "I still wish to urge Lien da to be returned to the echidnas however."

Elias let out a heavy sigh. "I'm afraid I won't allow that."

"Oh?" The echidna cocked up an eye brow.

"Lien da still may hold some key information on uncovering this case and until we have settled 'The Research Affair' she'll be kept with us, with temporary amnesty, seeing as she is heavily wanted and in both Albion-Angel Island and the U.F. It is important that she remains an ally for the time being otherwise we risk what I feel is a crucial piece to this puzzle." The king made his explanation.

"As much as I would want to disagree, I cannot go against the king's reason." McCoy said as he moved his hand from his face to rest it on the table.

"Once we convene to adjust to the outcomes of this affair, once it is all concluded, we determine who will have custody over Lien da." President Martin added to Elias' proposal.

The room again was filled with silence as it seemed there was not much more to discuss. "If that means we are done, I will immediately put the Freedom Fighters on the task of joint investigation." Elias stated.

"We will do the same for Team Dark." Tower added.

"Seeing as The Chaotix are already aiding in maintaining control over the nations, they shouldn't see too much trouble in aiding our cause either." Saren-ca spoke her turn.

"I feel the next step is to infiltrate Security Outpost 057 again to capture Hook. Unfortunately we need to prepare more, for what I suggest a complete joint strike. In the meantime, King Elias, I hope if Hook decides to make a move on Acorn that it is not a horrendous one. To everyone, good luck." McCoy stated.

The three nations stood up and exchanged handshakes. "At least no one was nearly killed here today." Bennett joked.

McCoy let a chuckle escape his mouth. "The day's not over." And with the light humor in the midst of the close of the international convention, the three parties left the conference room.


	20. Operation Falling Skies

**Author's Note:**

Wow, whipped up "The Great Chili Dog Heist" a day or two ago and now I finished Chapter 20! Another (really) long one but I had fun with this chapter and am trying to keep to my word that things are/have been picking up. And damn do they in this chapter.

Not going to beg and plead for critiques in reviews anymore since it didn't really do much anyway but I can't give up my signature tagline -

Read, Review, & Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 20: Operation Falling Skies

Elias had just gotten off the plane from the Soleanna convention. He was back in Acorn quicker than planned in a sense. It was another precaution taken to ensure everyone's safety at the meeting; Elias was to take a secret jet back to Acorn earlier in the day than publicized. To the rest of the world, he was just now boarding his plane to leave the U.F.

As the king moved through the halls of his castle, he took a deep breath of mostly relief. He couldn't wait to inform his sister and brother-in-law of their new role in the investigation of the Research Affair. It would definitely lighten the load off his shoulders and maybe, just maybe, ease him enough to get some sleep at night. Strolling down one of the vast hallways of Castle Acorn, turning mindlessly at each hall's end toward his final destination as his subconscious controlled where his feet trot, he caught himself in deep thought.

When he became successor to the throne, he was inexperienced. Sheltered his whole life hid away on Angel Island. He was constantly pushed around and half the time wasn't even in control. He wasn't meant to rule the kingdom. As much as his father urged him to take the throne, he knew he wasn't the one to do so. Even the Source of All meant for his sister, not him, to be Acorn's successor. At the beginning of his reign he couldn't help but feel like a disappointment to his father and the rest of the Kingdom of Acorn. It was that very depressing emotion that pushed him away. And then his life changed.

A grin was plastered across King Acorn's face as he remembered the first night he met Megan. Though it started off as simple conversation in a bar, with her being his waitress, he couldn't help but recall how things played out from there. Musing about their first encounter, Elias' cheeks turned red still at the flirts being passed between the two in the confines of his memory. And all the cheesy lines he said that evening. He bowed his head and bit his smiling lip as if the reels of remembrance were being displayed on the walls he walked past.

Then his concentration on sweet memories was interrupted by an even sweeter notion as the hall reverberated with a new sound that graced his ears. "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" Elias looked up to see his step-daughter Alexis trotting toward him in a childish dash. Her light blue gown seemingly signature to Acorn children swayed with each stepping jog. He dropped to a knee as she approached, ready to catch her in his arms. "Hey kiddo!" He managed to expel before she plunged into him. Nearly falling back, he positioned one of his feet a bit farther behind his center of gravity in order to remain stable. He tightened his embrace on his daughter as she did the same for him. "How's my little princess?" Despite how she was not of the Acorn bloodline, she was still his princess in his eyes.

"I thought you weren't supposed to be back until later?" She squeaked as she pushed gently against her father's shoulders ending the quick hug and giving enough distance between her and Elias' face to let him see the baffled look on her face.

Elias smiled back at her. "I came home early." Looking over his lovely daughter's shoulder, he saw his even lovelier queen standing there with hands clasped and a similar smile as his own.

He shifted his weight one last time as he lifted Alexis up from underneath the arms and stood level again. He cradled her in one arm formed like a seat for the young child. Moving closer he gave his wife a passionate kiss, causing a humorous "Ewww!" To emulate from the youngster being held up by the king.

"Good to see a smile on your face again. I'm guessing the convention went well?" Megan asked as they headed back to where Megan and Alexis came from, also exactly where Elias was walking toward before their rendezvous.

"It did. They agreed to allow the Freedom Fighters to front the investigation much easier than I had expected." Elias explained. He could feel Alexis play with an emblem on the shoulder of his coat as he still held her against him.

"What did I say? I told you there was nothing to worry about." Megan taunted. "So you will have time to come see Lexy's dance recital in the Gheal Province tonight? Being king and all it might not be hard to nab a plane ticket." Her lovely playful message sent Elias mixed emotions. He had completely forgotten about her recital. He tried to keep the fact hidden but it was hard when one's face drops so low.

"I–" He didn't want to admit it. "I don't think I can make it." Another curse of this dreadful job called king. As he walked with his wife and daughter through the gaudy halls he began to question if it was all worth it.

"I understand." Megan responded with a tone that couldn't better tell how accurate her words were. Her daughter wasn't too accepting however.

"But daaadddyyyy!" She let out a whine, leaning back again to show Elias her discontent.

He leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "I'll make it up to you. I promise." He said warmly.

But Alexis' face was still sour and pouty. "Pinky promise?" She asked through frumpy lips and squinted eyes that glared at her father all the while extending the tiny pinky of her right hand.

Elias smiled as he brought his own extended pinky from his free hand up to hers and wrapped the two together. "I promise."

*o*

It must have been mid afternoon at this point. It took her long enough to even walk over to the hospital but now Mina found herself pacing around the main lobby for reasons she couldn't quite understand. Of course they were friends. That was reason enough for her to pay him a visit. So why was she going through all this self quarrelling, she thought. She has grown fonder of the two tailed fox in recent times, she knew that. But why all the nervousness? Could she being thinking of something more than fond friendship? The thoughts constantly plagued her mind, flogged at her as she took a step closer toward the elevator than backed away in uncertainty. It was childish, she told herself, with different scenarios playing through her head. How would he react when she walked in? What if he's not excited to see her? What would they say to each other? They haven't really seen each other extensively since Mina confronted Ash and that was a good number of weeks ago. Would it be weird if she came in now without talking or hanging out since then?

She suddenly froze in amongst her pacing back and forth. She looked up with a frightful revelation apparent by the size of her eyes. 'What if he knows I'm the one that keeps calling him?' The terrifying thought conjured up in her mind. She knew how mad he was about all the hang-up calls; she could hear it from the other end of the line. What if he knew it was her? Would he be mad?

She gently shook her head in an attempt that the motion would sling the thought from her mind. She discarded the fright and decided to bulk up. "I'll never know if I don't try." The mongoose told herself as she hastily moved toward the elevator, confidence on her face yet hesitation still riddled her mentality. 'Besides, he's just a friend anyway…'

The journey up to his hospital room took longer than expected. The elevator stopped at nearly every floor to pick up passengers to take them just one more floor up. With every opening of the doors, it was another chance for her to change her mind and cower back to the safety of the solitude of Amy's guest bedroom. The anxiety build up was aggravating. But regardless she trekked on and now she found herself approaching Tails' designated room.

The door was already opened and she could see the golden fox lying motionlessly on the bed. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of the tall fox dressed in his hospital gown with his twin tails dangling off the side of the bed. The humorous sight calmed her nerves a little.

She slowly walked closer and saw the hero so vulnerable in his current condition. His head was tilted slightly to the side and a small dark spot on the pillow was evident of the small bit of drool that seeped from his mouth in his comatose state. The shape of the hospital gown that outlined his figure didn't keep secret the bandages around his midsection and she was half tempted to scoot the gown down a bit just to see the bandage out of curiosity. But Mina knew that would be way out of line and probably frowned upon by the hospital staff.

She looked over at the table next to the bed and saw different cards and empty candy wrappers. With Tails being in the hospital nearly a week now, she was not surprised he had other visitors.

"Hey Mina." The mongoose jumped a little at the groggy sounding voice that called out to her. She turned to see Tails mid-yawn all the while rubbing an eye with a formed fist.

"Tails! I thought you were out cold!" She responded with her truthful thought. Now that her friend was conscious, she could feel the nervousness return.

The fox let out a light chuckle. "I was shot Mina, not diagnosed with a terminal illness." His smile seemed to reassure Mina of her decision to come see him. "I was just sleeping. Not much else to do around here anyway."

"How bad was it?" She had to ask. She moved closer to the bed and sat on its edge close to Tails' hips.

Tails had gotten the question many times though so he felt it natural to respond as he had with every question of the similar nature. "Not too bad. It was still a gunshot but it missed my vital organs. Got to hand it to Bunnie though; without her quick thinking I wouldn't be here. The doctors said I'm healing up pretty nicely. Of course the regeneratives help speed things up but they said I should be out in a day or two." He finished his speech then leaned over to the table next to him and grabbed a half filled cup of water and began sipping from it.

"Well that's good." Mina tilted her head to the side a bit embarrassed. Was that all she could come up with to say?

"What about you? Haven't heard from you since you and Ash's last encounter. How are you holding up?" He inquired.

"Much better. It sucked the few days after that but you guys were right. I just needed to finalize everything and it would pass." But she let some deeper thoughts of loneliness reveal themselves. "Still kind of weird though. We were together for so long. I didn't think I could picture us not being together."

"Not going to lie but we were all kind of shocked." Tails let out a huff to accompany the statement.

"Oh come on." Mina playfully grinned. "You couldn't have been _all_ that surprised."

Tails was taken back a bit. "What?"

Mina looked down at her twiddling thumbs. "I know how you all felt about Ash." She looked back up at him with a smile.

"Don't think us so harsh Mina!" Tails exclaimed. "We didn't get along a lot but for as long as you guys were together, we knew it meant something."

"Well it did." She looked back down again. "At least to me it did."

Almost immediately Tails extended his arm and placed it on her shoulder. "As I know I've told you: If this was the outcome it's best that you did break up."

Mina concealed a twitch and a grin as she felt his comforting hand blessing her shoulder. Chills ran through her body and she was still either unsure as to why or just in denial. "Tails I have to thank you." She spoke out.

"For what?" He rose up an eye brow and lowered his hand back to his side.

She turned more to face him. "For everything. Out of everyone who helped me get over Ash I never would have expected you to step up like you did."

"Me?" Tails blushed a little.

"Well yeah!" She exclaimed enthusiastically then returned to her somewhat bashful tone. "You came over to help me out nearly every other day in the immediate weeks… I liked that."

"I just knew you needed a friend." The fox explained as his eyes shifted around and he fiddled with his hospital gown for no real specific reason. "What about Amy?" He let out a light chuckle. "She leant out half her house to you."

"Yeah but still." She stopped in mid thought. She wasn't sure why but her last conversation with Ash cropped up in her mind. She let out a small giggle. "When I was talking with Ash last, of course he was mad, but he mentioned he could beat you up when he saw you there with me and Amy."

"Oh?" He wasn't sure where she was going with this but her light tone was contagious as Tails now laughed a bit as well. "And what did you say?"

"You could totally kick his ass." She said matter-of-factly which sourced a light laughter from the two of them.

Tails wanted to keep the conversation going. "So what about your tour? You're supposed to head out tonight right?"

She was surprised he was even aware of that fact. "Yeah. The plane leaves around 7. Still haven't packed though." She jested about her current predicament.

The humor ensured as Tails snickered. "Sounds about right." But he continued. "Got any new songs lined up?"

"Yes, actually." She tried to hide a shyness about what some of them were about.

"Let me guess, a good number of sappy ones to get the tears flowing and other angsty ones that will just rile the crowd right up." He sneered playfully. The fox moved a hand to his nose to rub out an itch. Behind his fingers was hidden a teasing grin.

Mina burst out laughing seeing as he nailed it right on the spot. She began to snort so she thrust her hand over her mouth and nose, cupping it to stop the noise without any hints of success.

Tails, after hearing the strange noises emulating from the golden mongoose sitting on the side of his bed, burst out into a hefty laughter not being able to contain it for politeness' sake. "Am I right?" He urged which only bolded the two's jeers.

After calming down a bit, Mina removed her hand from her face but removing the smile that remained was not as easy. "I have some others lined up." She slid a sly expression his direction, thinking about one song in particular she wrote about a certain 'friend' of hers.

"Care to give me a sample?" Tails returned the sly glare, knowing how it would reverse on her.

And his assumption was correct as suddenly Mina's face changed from taunting confidence to utter apprehension and coy. Her face glowed red. "Umm…" She sputtered.

Tails reverted back to his reserved, not so toying nature. "You don't have to. Besides, I'll be looking forward to the big show here at the end of the tour anyway. It's always a good time seeing you and the 'Knots' up on stage tearing it up." He gave a warming smile to which Mina returned with a flustered one.

She sat trying to conjure up something else to say but once she realized she couldn't and didn't want awkwardness to set in from the silence, she figured it was time to take her leave. "Well I best start packing if I want even a second change of clothes this whole tour." She stood up from her seated position at the side of her friend's bed and stretched out her legs a bit.

"Alright. Well, thanks for stopping by." Tails smiled. His two tails began to swing back and forth lightly in content. "It was good to see you again. Good luck and I can't wait to hangout after the tour." He finished as she walked over toward the door.

She turned her head around quickly and threw a hand in the air while wiggling her fingers in a specific way of waving goodbye. "Thanks! See you around fox boy." She proclaimed in such a chipper manner before turning her head back in front of her to make sure she could see where she was walking as she left.

Tails sat there somewhat confused as light redness radiated from behind the white fur on his cheeks. "Fox boy?" He mumbled.

*o*

In recent times, Freedom HQ had not seen its normal occupants as much as it had in the past. But then again, times were changing again. The more lounge-like setting of the old base was beginning to retrieve its original theme again as clutter was strung across the floor and boxes filled with computers and other devices were being installed in different rooms. Since Elias had given the Freedom Fighters primary investigative authority of the Research Affairs, Sally, dragging Sonic along, wasted no time in prepping the place for their use.

Sally was bent down underneath a desk messing with some power cords in one of the back rooms. The desk had a good number of computer monitors and towers resting on it which was the source of the cords the princess was toiling with. But for some reason however there was a covering over one of the outlets and she needed to get to it otherwise she'd have to move all the computers and systems to another room and she was not too keen on doing that again. "Sonic!" She shouted as she stared at the covering, screwed in over the outlets with her screwdriverless hands giggling the cover around. "On the counter there's a–" But before she could finish her statement she heard a 'whoosh' as she felt a presence stop immediately behind her, followed quickly by a light gust of wind.

"Screwdriver?" He said a bit cocky. He lowered his hand down to hand Sally the screwdriver as she still remained under the desk.

She couldn't help but smile as his speed beat even the words from her mouth. "Thanks." She replied taking the offering the hedgehog was presenting to her.

Suddenly a gentle green flash illuminated the room and amongst the light a certain brown lynx garbed in purple appeared. "Alright. I've finished syncing up with the new system in the main room and the computers are currently going through an update reboot. Everything should be online in a few minutes." Nicole stated pretty proudly.

The computers on top the desk Sally was under flicked on as she managed to get to the outlet to finish meddling with the cords. She scooted out and stood up next to her artificial friend. "Great! Thanks Nicole."

"Sooo, once that's done we can kick back right?" Sonic so eagerly urged for an end to the preparations.

"Ha! Not so fast." His wife answered. "I want to jump right into some cross-referencing of the gathered data Elias gave us free reign to." She began to walk out the room with Nicole following close behind. Sonic soon followed. "I'm sure Nicole and I can beast out some good intel pretty quickly." She gave her cybernetic friend a wink and gently poked her elbow into the lynx's side.

Nicole moved a hand over her mouth and chuckled. "Oh yeah we can!"

"Well then I can leave you to that while I can do some important mission sensitive tasks of my own." Sonic jeered as he moved over to the refrigerator that still remained in the main lounge-like room of HQ.

"Snarffing down chili dogs doesn't count as 'mission sensitive'." The AI's joke caused a hearty laugh to emit from the princess.

The hedgehog snapped back with rolled eyes, swinging his head left to right in sync with his words. "Oh hardy-har-har."

The lynx let her and Sally's laughs subside before continuing on their previous train of thought. "The updates are just about finished. Want to start going over that data?"

Sally let one last snicker escape her mouth before moving on as well. "Yes, lets." And the two began walking over to the main computer room.

…

Sally and Nicole had been at it for a couple hours now. Filtering through the gathered intelligence shared between G.U.N., the U.F., Acorn, and now the Echidna Nation. Though Sally was usually the only physical occupant in the room, Nicole found it easier to do her thing while in the system. For the most part, they had just come across patterns that led to nowhere, covered skillfully by an antagonist that knew very well what he was doing.

But after a long and unsuccessful trial of data scavenging, the two moved to tune into the Kingdom's grid and monitoring system as a check to see if it has not yet been infiltrated. Of course if it were, Nicole would obviously be the first to know but they figured with someone as intelligent as this Hook guy they are dealing with, there may be something hidden that Nicole couldn't even detect. And in a way, they were right.

"Sally." Nicole called out from the large monitor in front of the princess.

"What is it Nicole, did you find something?" Sally casually responded as she continued to scroll through lines of code and different control logs.

"I'm not sure. But there is excessive traffic on the transportation net. It's not an anomaly, nothing strange is coming from it, but there shouldn't be this much data surging through it." She explained.

Sally cocked up an eye brow and minimized the panels she was searching through. She began typing something back into the command prompt and a few new windows appeared on the screen which displayed garbled sets of letters and numbers. "Is it something to do with Elias' decoy flight coming back from Soleanna?" She asked. Of course Nicole knew of the decoy flight but Elias was too eager to give the Freedom Fighters control over the investigation that he called Sally up on the plane – through a secure line of course.

"No. It's not that. I don't know," She concluded, ready to dismiss it. "It's probably nothing."

"Hold on Nicole. Let's keep scoping it out. We thought the malfunction in the reactor all those months ago was just an error and that's what led us into this mess. Let's see if we can't find anything first."

From Nicole's perspective, she stood in an abstract world layered with green grids and different blocks filled with data. She looked up and could see a large green cloud of signals flowing through the air in her computerized world and saw it moving toward what she knew, only because she **was** the system, was the Kingdom's transportation grid. "I'll check it out."

Sally's voice echoed through the strange world as if coming from the heavens. "Alright. Let me know if you find anything."

Nicole stood patiently as suddenly a large pillar arose from underneath her feet and brought her up to the floating river of data. It stopped just enough for it to flow by at eye level. She cautiously raised her hand up to it and read the data as it coursed past her digital hand. She did this for another moment or so before something went wrong.

She felt a shock as she pulled her hand back. Another shock and she fell down to her hands and knees on top of the pillar. Her raised platform began to flicker as she was losing control over the small tower. She looked down at her hand and noticed it starting to glitch. "Sa– Sally?" She called out.

"Nicole! What's going on?" Sally responded quickly to the frightened sounding lynx.

"I think there's a-a-a- bbbaad handle s-s-sys–" It was getting hard for Nicole to articulate her words. She tried to formulate a message but her system was forcing her to stutter and say words she was not intending to say. The raised platform she remained on top of continued to flicker until it shot back down to its initial level. Nicole remained on all fours feeling different surges through her body causing it to glitch uncontrollably.

"Nicole! Are you okay?!" Sally's voiced echoed through the green world again.

Nicole was panting heavily as the infectious data was being fought off by her own system. "T-t-t-transporta– f-f-f-igure…" No, not figure. She tried everything to send out the message. "F-f-fruit." Damn it, not fruit either! Nicole's head was getting cloudy. He eyes were getting heavy.

"Transportation! What about transportation Nicole? Can you tell me what's going on? The data in the transportation system, what about it?" Shouts of plight were now being heard. But the voice of her best friend was getting distorted, twisted and sounding nearly demented at times altering between high and low pitches.

On Sally's end, she sat intensely at the edge of her chair. Starring blankly at the computer monitor hoping for anything from Nicole but it was pretty silent. "Nicole!" She shouted. "NICOLE!" But she got nothing.

She quickly bolted up from out the chair and ran into the main room. Sonic was sprawled out on the couch passed out when Sally ran up to him. "Sonic! Wake up!" She demanded as she violently shook him about.

"Geez Sal!" He snapped awake. But he quickly changed his tone as he saw the look of fright and panic on her face. He quickly got up from his reclined position. "What is it?"

"Something's going on with Nicole. I think the system's being infiltrated. She tried to tell me something about the transportation net. I need you to run to Acorn Central Command and let them know what's going on."

"Why can't you just send them a message?" But he stopped realizing he should have thought before speaking – not the first time. "Right, infiltrated system. Got it. What about Nicole?"

"I'll stay here and try and debug her. Once I get that done, she should be able to set up a secure link and let us know what's going on." Sally explained. "But I need you to hurry!" She gave him a light shove.

"Hurrying, one of the things I'm good at." He let out a grin and bolted out the door, escaping quickly from sight.

Sally immediately ran back to the main computer room and got to work. "Come on Nicole, hang in there."

*o*

"Flight 237 to Gheal Province, now boarding First Class seating." The voice of a small cat rang through the ceiling intercom as the source of the voice simultaneously mouthed the words into a radio held in her hands.

Queen Megan and Alexis were standing in line to board the aircraft. Megan and Alexis were close to matching as they wore much more casual attire to not draw attention to themselves. Megan wore her old purple plaid flannel and Alexis wore a much smaller red one. Alongside them were a large number of small children about Alexis' age. They were her dance partners. Nearly all of them were being accompanied by their mother, and the occasional father, with hands clasped. Of course alongside them were two large bears in suits to maintain security of the queen and her daughter but they kept a comfortable distance.

The crowd of children began boarding the plane, heading out to their dance recital. For some it was their first time flying and the looks of either excitement or nervousness were easily readable. "How long is the flight mommy?" Alexis asked as they inched closer to the gate.

"Only a couple hours sweety. It'll be over in no time." The queen reassured her daughter.

On the other side of the airport however another not-as-large group was getting ready to head out as well. The Forget Me Knots sat patiently in a secluded gate in the terminal as their private jet was being prepped. Mach's rhythmic tapping of his drumsticks on the seat in front of him wasn't as much as a nuisance as the crew was very much used to it by now. It was quite a different feeling for the band now that Ash had left from his manager position but they were surprised to see how well their new manager was keeping things rolling.

Mina was still nervous though. It was a mix of things as she could not possibly single out one reason for uneasy feeling: their first tour without Ash, her previous running with Tails and all the mixed thoughts and emotions that came with it, and just an uncanny feeling that something just wasn't right.

A badger dressed in the typical airline assistant attire suddenly appeared from the tunnel to their jet. "It's all ready. You guys are free to board." He said motioning his hand toward the tunnel. The band picked up their gear and packs and made their way to the aircraft.

*o*

Sally continued to work frantically on trying to get Nicole virus free. Employing numerous manual override procedures and controlling different firewall processes. "Hang in there Nicole." She kept mumbling to herself as her fingers fluttered away over the keyboard.

Nicole was still collapsed down in her computer world, trying to fight off the infection she had obtained. She struggled to even move her artificial limbs as they tore into a cloud of pixels before regaining their normal figure in amongst many different malfunctions. 'Must warn them.' She processed. But soon even her thoughts were obstructed by whatever it was that she was stricken with. If something wasn't done to rid her of the malware soon, her corrupt state may become permanent.

Sally continued to scan through all the systems and codes, hoping to find something of value. Suddenly something came to mind. "Nicole, can you hear me?" She asked.

"Blurg to f-f-eet *ckzzzt* do-do-do-do, n-need." The inaudible jumble of speech was frightening to listen to. But with the response, it at least let Sally know she heard her. Whether she understood or not was a different thing.

"I'm going to try something but I need you to help me…and trust me. Isolate yourself to the path of data you said was heading toward the transportation net. I still have a link to your digital syntax. If you join with the path I can override it and shut it down. And since whatever it is ailing you came from that path, hopefully it will shut it down with the override." She was hesitant however on whether the rescue attempt would affect Nicole and also on whether Nicole was able to comply with her request.

Nicole however did hear and register Sally's orders and tried everything to follow. She used all the functions her code could call up to get her up to the data link that still streamed overhead. She managed to conjure up another pillar that shot her up toward her target. But it flickered and failed soon after. But she wasn't going to give up. She tried once more a bit more carefully. Slowly the ground beneath her rose again and made its way up to the signal.

"I can see your trace. It's getting close to the signal. As soon as you're there Nicole I'll send in the override." Sally's voice trembled through the vast digital land as Nicole slowly moved up to her target. The pillar began to flicker again. Nicole closed her eyes and focused. Suddenly she found herself rammed right into the river of signal.

"Got it!" Sally shouted as she initiated the override. Nicole felt another surge through her system. The data stream she remained suspended in began to sputter in its stability until it vanished, causing Nicole to fall back down to the ground. "Nicole!" Sally shouted. She could still read her signal but that wasn't good enough. She wanted a response from her old friend. "Nicole! Are you alright?" She continued with the outbursts.

Slowly, Nicole rose back to her feet weary from what she just went through. She inspected her hand that initially caught the virus and saw it was back to normal. "I'm alright Sally. Thanks to you." She turned her hand around a few more times before lowering it to her side.

Sally, outside the network collapsed her face into her hands in relief. She took in a deep breath then exhaled as her hands slide down her face.

"Sally, the signal is broken but there was still a transmission sent to the Transportation network. I'm not entirely sure what it entailed but it definitely was foreign and definitely malicious." Nicole called out, wasting no time in recuperation when there was a job that still needed to be done. "I'm patching through a communications link right now."

Sally sat on the computer waiting for Nicole to do her thing. Suddenly a friendly voice came through the com patch. "Sally?" Sonic's voice was clear as day.

"Sonic, I'm assuming you made it to Central Command?" She questioned.

"Probably before you made it back to your computer." Sally ignored his normal attitude. "They've put their system on lockdown. They said they couldn't really do much else until they find out what's going on. Got any ideas?"

"Not entirely sure. All we know from this end is that some signal was sent to the network. It is more than likely encrypted and depending on its purpose, putting the system on lockdown might not stop it." She redirected her attention to the lively computer. "Nicole, have you found what its purpose was?"

"Not yet." Nicole responded standing in her system, waving her hands about as data manifested then dissipated in front of her at her own will. "I don't think it expected my interference but it has done a good job covering its tracks from my access memory. If only I could remember what it told me before I got infected."

"That's alright. Keep working on it. Has this been an ongoing thing?" The princess questioned.

"No. It seems the system infiltration started a few minutes before we found the signal. At least we were fortunate with that." The lynx responded, focusing still on trying to dig up the purpose for the malicious trace.

"Sally, do we need more techies to help filter through the system? When Command gave Elias the update to the situation, I think he said Rotor was on his way." Sonic suggested.

"Wouldn't hurt." She answered. "I don't know what's going on but we could use all the help we could get."

…

Tails sat there in the hospital bed, flipping through the channels on the television, bored as all else. He let out a heavy sigh thinking about how the time was dwindling down before he could leave that decrepit room.

Suddenly his nurse came into the room. "Alright Miles, you've been cleared to leave early." She said pretty bluntly.

"What?" Tails leaned up a bit on the bed in surprise.

"I'm also told you're being requested at Acorn Central Command. They urged your early departure. Just don't go and get into more firefights." She smiled then took her leave. Tails sat there perplexed a bit before snapping into action. If something at Command was awry he needed to get over there fast.

*o*

"Good afternoon passengers, I am Derrick Henry and I'll be your captain this sunny Tuesday. The cabin door has been sealed so we ask that you remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened during takeoff. Winds are coming in from the North-Northwest at approximately 12 miles per hour. The flight is scheduled to be an hour and forty-five minutes through clear skies. We appreciate you flying with us today and hope you enjoy your flight." The speakers over each passenger's head sounded with a click after the captain finished his speech.

Little Alexis' feet were rolling back and forth in her heels in anticipation. She wasn't a stranger to flying in an airplane but she liked the sensation and always looked forward to takeoff. "Mommy look!" She pointed to the window as the large aircraft began to taxi down the runway.

"We are currently waiting on two other aircraft on the taxiway ahead of us. We will takeoff shortly." The captain sounded again over the intercom.

Right in front of the large passenger aircraft was a small private jet, second in line on the taxiway. Inside, the four rockstars of the Forget Me Knots sat patiently, sipping on their drinks as they cruised toward takeoff.

*o*

The Transportation Department of Acorn Central Command was in chaos. Buzzing about were different workers frantically trying to figure out what was going on and what could be done to prevent the unknown cyber attack. Sonic stood toward the middle next to a large bear in a decorated military uniform. Rotor had already arrived and was working on system configuration.

The room's atmosphere changed quickly as King Elias entered through a door in the back. He immediately moved toward Sonic and the general that stood next to him. "Not even back in Acorn for a few hours and we're already in some kind of fray." He mumbled.

"Not even back a few hours?" Sonic threw out there. "You aren't supposed to be back for a few hours!"

"Well it's a good thing I'm here early then right?"

The small band continued to grow as Tails entered the room. "Tails! Glad to see you're walking around alright." Sonic exclaimed as his little brother moved closer to the group.

"Eh, just a flesh wound." He joked. "So what are we dealing with here?"

"Sally and Nicole found some kind of foreign signal sent to the transportation department. They are trying to figure out what its function is." The hedgehog explained.

"Did they trace it back to its original?"

"They said it somehow deleted its track. Whoever created this thing is good they said." Sonic relayed his wife's message.

"Hook." Tails stated pretty confidently.

"That's what we're suspecting." Sonic confirmed pretty solemnly.

Without hesitation, Tails jumped onto a vacant computer and began scanning the data files.

Sally, on the other end of the line with Sonic Tails and Elias was doing the same thing. "We've got some digital reinforcements on our end. Your brother and Tails are here working on it as well. Rotor's been here a bit too."

"Great." She said mindlessly.

"Sally, I'm currently analyzing the transportation networks' primary access functions to see if I can find any discrepancies. Maybe the smallest stray bits of data could tell us something. There's no use trying to continue searching through my memory banks for what I saw before my infection. The virus probably deleted the script as soon as it detected it in my system." The lynx sounded through Sally's computer. "We can speed things up if I send portions of the files to you Tails and Rotor. I'll enact a filter to send you what you guys can analyze."

"Good thinking." Sally complimented then switched the COMs to Command. "Tails, did you hear that?"

"Loud and clear Sally." The fox stated as he sat in a chair at Command, hunched over a computer and typing frantically. "I got the files…" Tails silence only meant he was way too focused on the task.

A number of minutes passed as anguish and anxiety filled the air that entered and left the lungs of those patiently waiting for some results. Finally someone spoke up. "Guys?" Their fox friend announced.

"Is there some kind of software override installed for Acorn's aircraft?" Elias raised an eyebrow and looked over at his brother-in-law with skepticism. He and the large general walked over to Tails' computer to see what he was talking about. "Nicole gave me the control functions to the air grid to look through. While I was scanning, an Autopilot Override enabled itself." He explained.

Elias looked over at the large bear. "General?"

"The only thing in control of autopilot functions in aircrafts is the pilots." He stated with a thunderous deep voice.

"So this program is foreign…" Tails slowly concluded. But he was already too late.

"Sir!" A dog behind a different computer stood and shouted to the general. "We're getting a mayday call from Flight 489 over the Boyton Providence. They have lost control of the aircraft claiming something is controlling the plane and driving it toward the ground."

Another Mobian in the room called out to the general. "Sir! Flight 909 just crashed in the East Sea!"

"By Aurora, they're taking out our airplanes!" The General shouted.

Elias stood frozen. The room suddenly got cold, then hot, then cold again. Sweat beaded on his forehead as his arms got goosebumps. Megan and Alexis. Another man called out, "Sir, the decoy plane from Soleanna just crashed." But the words didn't even affect the King.

Tails felt the same shock. It wasn't to the effect of the King's but a weird sensation flooded his body as he thought of Mina. Just that morning he was talking and laughing with her and by the time evening comes his friend might not be around.

Suddenly something snapped in the King though. "Shut down the flight systems! I want all flight grounded! Nothing leaves the ground! Clear every airport runway in the Kingdom! International, National, Regional, damn it I even want the crop-dusting landing strips to be opened if need be." Elias commanded.

"Yes sir!" The initial dog saluted and began getting to work.

"Let's see if we can't take out that program and get these pilots back in control." He called out one last time but mind was screaming something different than his tongue; 'My wife and daughter are on one of those planes.'

*o*

Mina sat there looking out the window of the jet. Her bandmates knew she has been in a funk since the incident but they noticed this was different. They weren't the ones to get real personal though (that was always Ash's job) so they let her be. The jet began to rumble as the engines started up, prepping for takeoff. The songoose eased back into her seat with the help of the forces pushing on her from the sudden speed of the jet during takeoff. They continued to zoom down the runway gaining speed.

Behind the Knots' jet, Flight 237 continued moving toward the runway.

*o*

Sally listened into everything from Command's end. She worked with wide eyes and twitching fingers trying to get into the system to stop the program. "Nicole! Can you get into the air grid and single out the program Tails found?"

"Already on it Sally." Nicole answered. She was in the system and now that they knew what they were looking for, it should be easy for her to find a program that just didn't belong. With green flashes, she blipped through her system until she came across the air grid. She waved her hand and bits of data began floating around her. She looked through them until she found what she was looking for. "Found it!" She exclaimed. She reached for it to pull it out of the rest of the cloud of digital code but stopped and brought her hand back to her chest. "Sally?" She called out hesitantly.

"I know what you're thinking Nicole. If anything happens again, I'm more prepared to slow its progression until you can fix yourself. I'm heavily monitoring your signature."

Nicole gave a small head nod, trusting her friend as she had many times before. She reached out and plucked the bad program. It began to spark and flitter in her hand. She felt a familiar shock as she held it in her digital palm. Squinting from the shocks, she finally clenched her hand into a fist and destroyed the program. "Program terminated."

Back at Command, cheers and roars erupted as people stood up and screamed in jubilation. There was hugging, shouting, kissing on the cheeks – a few stacks of papers even got bumped causing them to flutter in the air.

"Guys, we're not done yet." Tails called out. Elias Sonic and the General moved over to him again.

"Sally, standby. We're not through." Sonic called through to the other end of his COM line.

"The program's gone but some of the airplanes haven't recovered yet. Their computer systems were damaged by the program. They're still crashing."

"Sally?" Sonic called out.

"I heard ya. We're on it."

*o*

It wasn't the first time she saw the world zoom by through the small pane of a jet window. She often wondered if she could outrun the aircraft during takeoff but figured she'd never be able to find out whether or not she could. She continued to look down as the plane lifted off and the ground below seemed to move away beneath her.

Suddenly, the plane jerked widly. Mina bounced up in her seat while Max lost grip of his drink causing it to fall to the floor. But that was the least of their worries. Mina quickly looked out the window and saw the ground, not moving away as it was a mere second ago, but moving closer! Closer until…

*o*

"Sir," Nicole called out through the loud speakers at Central Command.

"What is it Nicole?" Elias called back eager to what she had to say.

"I've taken control of the airborne aircraft and am guiding them to safety. The avionics were completely disrupted by the program. There was no way to restart them." She explained.

"How many do you have control of?" He asked curiously.

"According to the air grid, 344 flight plans were in flight. I took control of the 332 that had not yet crashed. 17 were in taking off while 13 were on final approach for landing." She stated, giving her report.

"What about Megan and Alexis…" He said with a small quiver in his voice. He stood tall with his head high, waiting for the A.I.'s response. Sonic looked up at his brother-in-law and suddenly felt immense pain and fear for Elias' sake. The whole room did as not single pair of eyes were resting on anything but the King.

"The Queen and your daughter are safe. Their flight never finished taxing when the grounding order went through."

The room felt a sigh of relief. The King slumped down and collapsed to his knees. "Praise Aurora." He mumbled with close, water-filled eyes.

Tails sat there, though relieved for the king he couldn't help but be concerned for Mina.


	21. The Friend of My Enemy

**Author's Note:**

Well holy shit it has been a while. I have been SWAMPED with school: Senior classes, a bullshit lab, exec of two organizations and President of one of them, work, interfaces for the microsat I'm working on and a bunch of other stuff. But you didn't come here to hear me bitch and moan you came for the story so after a really long wait, I give you Chapter 21!

Prospectively, I should have Chapter 22 up during Thanksgiving Break but as of now I really don't have time to even think about it until then so after this last wait I think you can handle 2 weeks until the next update.

Read Review and Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 21: The Friend of My Enemy

"Stand back! Everyone get back!" Shouts were coming from all around. The only audible ones set apart from the endless rambling of the crowd of enraged citizens were those being voiced over loud speakers. It had been like this for weeks.

Hundreds of echidnas formed a sea of protestors and demonstrators outside the side of the Senate Chambers that was not devastated by the bombing a few weeks before. The crowds ended at a neat barricade of cement medians and echidnas garbed in their police gear, stationed at specific points along the area.

At some point an echidna stood up on a crate with a loud speaker of his own and began shouting out to the crowd. "Brothers! Our leaders have lied to us! They did nothing as they received the same threats as the Kingdom of Acorn regarding this 'Research Affair!'" The Mobian continued to shout – he either had no idea U.F. received the same warnings or left them out for his own personal justifications. "And now, _'We are friends with the enemy and soon that will be prevalent.'_ My fellow echidna: that has been made prevalent already. Those Overlander bastards have crept in the shadows for years, hiding behind lies and secrets and now they have attacked our homeland!" The crowd responded with raucous jeers of rage-filled approval. "They have killed our children!" The crowd shouted again. "They have left a scar in our precious Albion!" Again, the listeners to the man's words chanted in support. "And they are waging war as we speak!" One final praised erupted from the people. "The ERA is fore fronting the fight against the treacherous Overlanders! If our nation's leaders will not see their deceit, we will show it to the world with our own hands!"

Inside the Senate Chambers the leaders of the fragile nation, that has nearly erupted in civil war over their 'controversial' alliance with the United Federation and G.U.N., discuss possible forms of action. Saren-ca has addressed the nation multiple times stating that the attacks were caused by Hook and that U.F. is in the same, if not greater, peril as their nation. But the disregarding of the first note and other threats by the nation's officials have turned a people already filled with paranoia about their endangered and recuperating species, even more distrustful about their leaders.

The ERA, or Echidna Retaliation Army, has sprouted strong influence over much of the people and have made such claims that they have taken charge of the Echidna Nation's efforts to battle the threats of the Research Affair. They have even made open claims that they plan to attack the United Federation in retaliation of the bombing at Bogside Market. They have been entirely underground and have reported strongholds in both Albion and Angel Island. Remington has had his hands full trying to manage the rioting people and the ERA at the same time. Wynmacher has also been quite busy now that, as he predicted, the job of Internal Affairs expanded greatly overnight.

Knuckles, The Guardian, and The Chaotix have been working frivolously on Angel Island in juncture with the nation's leaders to maintain peace and to settle unrest. Often they would be charged with investigative or operative tasks to help weed out small factions or ordeals with the ERA on the floating island. It was not a peculiar event when Knuckles got phoned up by the head of the entire Echidna Nation as was the instance today.

"Matriarch." Knuckles answered as his greeting on the large telescreen in Haven. "It's never a good thing to hear your voice over the phone now-a-days is it?" He asked rhetorically.

"No it's not but seeing as you are the Guardian–"

"Protecting my people is my duty. What do you need?"

"We've received intel that a faction of the ERA stationed on Angel Island has been receiving illicit weapons. And seeing as their radicalism toward our current situation with U.F. has taken frightening turns, we need you and The Chaotix to investigate."

The large screen Knuckles was looking at had its original image retract and a new image replaced it of security footage. "This was reported to Remington two days ago. It's in the old abandoned Happyland Amusement Park." As Saren-ca continued to explain, Knuckled watched in at the security footage. For a good chunk of the video it just showed three echidnas conversing in a huddle off in the distance. He could tell they were there for a long time as the timer on the footage revealed the recording was being sped up until suddenly it resumed normal synchronization. The three echidnas broke apart and two moved off behind an old torn tent. Shortly after, they panned back into view rolling large crates across the view of the camera with the words 'Ammunition' barely readable in the low quality recording. "As you can see this raises great alarm especially with most recent threats."

"So you need us to go in and whoop up on some defiant self-righteous vigilantes? I think we can manage." The Guardian said with a smug grin, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I would prefer you to go in discrete, for your own safety. We do not know how much the ERA has recruited and you could be severely outnumbered." The Matriarch's image appeared as a live feed back on the screen in front of Knuckles.

"Ma'am, we have Vector on our team. I highly doubt _discreteness_ is one of our luxuries." He toyed.

"Well regardless, this could turn ugly. We just need to you to go in, find the weapons cache and sabotage their supply to render it unusable. We do not have the forces able to wipe out the ERA so the best we can do is just hold them back until these Research Affairs comes to an end."

"Don't worry. We'll get the job done." He said, reaching out and clicking a lever on the computer pad in front of him. Just like his greetings, he wasn't real big on formal and sincere salutations. "Alright Chaotix," He said to himself as he walked away to gather his team. "we got a job to do."

…

"Shazap…"

A small enclave in a dense forest lightened up as a strange array of characters appeared out of now where through a warp ring. The forest returned to its normal hue as the warp ring shrunk to the size of a bracelet with another hushed "shazap."

The group looked on into the distance to see the abandoned Happyland Amusement Park a few hundred meters away creating a near haunting silhouette in the night. Broken roller coasters and stationary ferris wheels riddled the skyline.

"Alright. I brought us a safe enough distance outside of the park so that hopefully no one will know we're here." Knuckles spoke in a soft whisper in amongst the huddle of their formation.

"What's the deal with the quiet talk Knux?" Vector spoke in his normal, unintentionally thunderous voice. "Like you said no one should know we're here."

"Hey, did you hear that?"

The oddball investigative team froze at the words a little bit in the distance. They couldn't be found this early into the mission could they?

"Good job scales for brains!" Julie su whispered as she swung a fist into Vector's arm.

"Keep quiet." Knuckles ordered. "Espio?"

"On it." He said as his figure began to fade into thin air. Not too much later they heard the foreign voices sound off again, except they were a bit more frantic this time.

"Hey, what gives!" A 'smack' was heard. "Thomas, where'd you go?!" Then a 'thud.'

There was a short pause before, "Alright. It's clear." Espio's disembodied voice was heard not too far off. The remaining eight Chaotix moved over toward his voice and found two echidnas out cold and already tied up back-to-back propped up against a tree.

"Nice job Espy." Julie su complimented as she inspected the bounds of the two ERA scouts.

"Did you recover anything from them?" Knuckles asked.

"They had one radio on them. A lucky find if you ask me. We can listen into whatever plans may be plotted inside the amusement park. The only thing is we have to keep it on a low volume if we want to remain hidden." Espio explained.

"Good deal!" Vector stated.

"Only partly." Knuckled added. "Once these guys don't radio in or come back the others will be on high alert. We have to make this quick."

"So why are we just standing here then?" Matilda enquired.

"Right, let's get moving." Mighty backed up his sister.

With that, the group moved from the edge of the woods and into the field that lay between them and the abandoned park. They made sure they crept low, in a hunched walk, to avoid being spotted. Making sure to roll their feet to avoid excessive noise with each step, they hustled through the brush and up to a chain link fence on the leading edge of the old park. Quickly, Knuckles and Mighty grabbed the bottom of the fence and hoisted it up as the others crawled underneath it without even a moment's hesitation. The exception was Charmy and Saffron who simply buzzed over the fence and met back up with the group on the other side.

The Chaotix remained behind a boarded up game tent to lay out the rest of the game plan. "Alright, as much as I'd rather stick together, we're too big of a group to remain like that. Charmy, Saffron, since you two can fly around pretty unnoticeably I'm going to split you two up. Are you fine with that?"

"No problem Knux." Charmy answered.

"I think we can handle a little bit apart, hehe." The female bee gave her approval as well.

"Alright. Julie su, can your dread broadcast into the radio we picked up from the scouting patrol?"

"Pfsh, of course it can." She answered back confidently then proceeded to immediately tinker with her mechanical dreadlock.

"So Julie su and I will go one way, Mighty Matilda Ray and Saffron will go another and Espio Vector and Charmy will take a different route. If anything is up, Charmy and Saffron I'm expecting you to relay to the rest of us. Everyone got that?" Knuckles concluded the brief in the same hushed whisper he started it with. Everyone gave a head nod. "Cool. Mighty, you take the radio we recovered from the scouts. Julie and I will be able to listen in from our end. Vec, I trust you guys to be able to make it on your own."

"You can count on us." The crocodile gave him his reassurance.

"Great. We're looking for a cache of illegal weapons. If anyone finds it or finds info on its location, send the word out to the rest of the team. We are to sabotage the weapons. Anything else could result in detonation especially since we don't know what we're up against." Everyone was pretty intent on their team lead's words. Once Knuckles figured his words had sunk in, he gave his final statement. "Alright, good luck Chaotix. Let's move out." With that, everyone went off on in their own direction.

"I love it when you take charge." Julie su gave the red guardian a small nudge in his side.

He rebuked with a smirk. "Don't I know it."

…

"So... If I was some ERA goon, where would I hide a pile of weapons?" Vector asked hypothetically in his version of a whisper. He and Espio continued to walk through the deserted amusement park while Charmy was floating up above watching to make sure no one would pop out of a corner and discover the grounded duo.

"Vector, even in your hushed voice, you are still outrageously loud." Espio quietly explained.

"Well look here Mr. Ninja; for some, stealth doesn't come as second nature as it does with you." The large reptile rebuked.

"Just keep it down so we can get through this undiscovered."

At this time Charmy buzzed down to their level to report what he saw. "Guys! I saw some lights on the other end of the park! It looked like there might have been some activity over there. Maybe that's where the weapons cache is!"

"Outstanding. Think you can lead the way?" Espio answered.

"Sure! But I guys I should also tell you–" But the small bee's words were cut off.

"FREEZE!"

The three did just that as two ERA members were staring down at them, blinding them with spotlights.

"And that wasn't important enough to come first Charmy?" Vector mumbled to his teammate, fluttering beside him.

"Sorry."

One of the echidnas facing the trio reached down for his radio to relay the message of intruders. "Axis, this is Nightwatch 4, come in-over." He called in. At this point Vector turned to his side and didn't see Espio anywhere. He must have cloaked himself just before the two guards spotlighted them.

"Send traffic-over." The radio answered back.

"We have t–" But the guard was kicked from behind as soon as he began to speak and lost grip of his radio.

"HEY!" The other guard began to react to the invisible assault and drew his gun.

"Oh no you don't!" Vector leapt forward and tackled the guy. They wrestled down on the ground fighting for control. The guard still had the gun in his hand but Vector soon grabbed his wrist, turned it inward causing the guard to lose his grip on the weapon. Vector batted it out of his hands and it flew a good few feet away.

At this, Charmy swooped down and picked up the gun to ensure no one would gain control over the device.

Espio was still combating the initial guard. He dropped his camouflage to remain focused on the fight.

Vector was struggling with the man, grappling in a ground fight. Finally he got into a good position, tossed him over him and laid behind the echidna holding him in a choke-hold. A few seconds later, his adversary slowly stopped moving, passing out from lack of air. The crocodile got up to witness Espio give a final blow to knock out the other guard.

"We should move before these guys come to, now that that's taken care of." The chameleon began dusting off his hands.

"Bad copy Nightwatch 4. Say Again… Nightwatch 4? Come in-over." The radio was still sputtering a one way conversation, requesting for a response.

"We're not done just yet Espio." Vector moved over and picked up the radio. "This is Nightwatch 4, we hear you."

"What the hell happened Nightwatch 4?"

"Umm, sorry… I tripped and dropped the radio." He quickly thought up to justify the gap in communication from their end.

"Whatever. You radioed in and were about to say something? Say that again – over."

Vector shifted his eyes over to Espio unsure of where to go with this. "Umm, yeah. We found these crates of Twinkies. Do you think we should bring them back? They never go bad you know….Over" The soft smack of Espio's facepalm was heard in the background. It was the first thing Vector thought of.

There was a small pause as the other end of the radio tried took in the outlandish statement. "…What? Just shut up and get back here. The Boss needs help moving the weapons onto the train to have them shipped out."

Vector and Espio's eyes grew at the new information they turned to face each other to reassure they each heard it then focused back on the radio. "Ro-roger. We'll be right over. Nightwatch 4-out."

…

Knuckles and Julie su were hunkered down behind these old busted up crates. Knuckles was keeping an eye out for any wanderers as Julie su was listening in to her dreadlock, hearing everything being sent over the radios between Vector and the main command. "I swear one of these days that buffoon's luck is going to run out." She rolled her eyes.

"At least we know some more information. We have to get to that weapons cache and soon!" The team lead exclaimed.

"And all of us have ears on the enemy as well. Guys that's a good thing."

"Damn right it is. Come on, let's get moving." They dispersed from their position and began moving quickly through the dark alleyways between the moldy fabric tents and boarded up shops. Swiftly moving down the paths but stopping immediately at each end to peek around the corners for any stray patrols. Once the coast was clear, they'd quickly cross to the other side and begin their movements again.

They got past a few of the shops and into the underneath of a broken down roller coaster. They hopped the fence and began moving swiftly through the open area; a much quicker more direct route than going around the roller coaster. About halfway through, they heard a few voices off in the distance. Or at least Knuckles did.

Julie su was about to keep running but her red partner quickly put a stop to that as he grabbed her shoulders and accidentally threw her back a little harder than expected and the two fell into a nearby bush, good concealment until the patrols were past and out of their view.

"Hey, did you hear that?" One of the patrolling guards called out as he flashed a few bushes just to the left of the ones where Knuckles and Julie su were staying quietly hidden.

"Dude, I hear a lot of shit out here. Especially by these old busted rides." The other dismissed his buddy's warning. "Probably just an animal or something." He took a seat on a large boulder and pulled out a small snack bar from one of his pockets, unwrapped it and began munching down.

"This really isn't the place to for a snack break you know."

'Great.' Knuckles thought as he and Julie su still were remaining motionless in this bush. 'They're going to be here for a while aren't they?'

"Why not? No one is around to chew us out and I'm hungry. We can take a little break." He took another bite of the bar, causing a loud _crunch_.

"Because we have a job to do. They said Nightwatch 2 hasn't called in so we need to see what's up."

"Oh stop being so responsible. They're fine! Besides they're all the way by the outer border."

"Exactly!" The more attentive soldier was arguing back. "So if they haven't radioed in, what makes us so sure no one hasn't infiltrated the park?"

The guard sitting down slowly got up as he crumbled up the wrapper of his consumed snack bar and threw it on the ground. "Uhhhgggg. Fine. Can't sit down for one minute in this job." The two began to walk away.

"Hey, you're the one that signed up for it."

A few moments later and their voices were drowned out. The two hidden Chaotix crawled out of the bush to still keep their noise level at a minimum. Julie su shook out one of her arms and stretched her back from being held motionless in an uncomfortable position for so long but sometimes that's what it calls for.

"We've got to make up for lost time AND high tail it over there now. It won't be long before they discover both the patrol teams we took out." Knuckles commanded and the two were off again.

…

"I wonder how Knux and Su are fairing." Mighty said in general conversation as his group was taking a much more leisured pace through the park than their counterparts.

"Well we know how Vector Espio and Charmy are doing." Matilda said a bit sarcastically as they too heard over their captured radio Vector's impersonation.

"W-well they g-got out though." Ray answered back, always being the optimist.

"And thank goodness too! That worried me." Saffron called up.

"Let's stay focused here. They got out and that's all said and done. We need to get to those weapons." Mighty took back command.

"I agree. Besides, I think we're getting close." The other armadillo stated her observation.

"And what makes you say that?" The bee floating above them buzzed.

"I know how groups like these guys work." As she made her statement, they came across a collapsed closed down shop and peaked above the rubble to see a large assembly of ERA soldiers. They were all standing around an obscure shaped object with a tarp flapping lightly in the wind covering whatever the contents of the large object was.

"I th-think we f-found it."

"I think you're right Ray." Mighty agreed. They continued to observe the area and saw a large crane hovering over the covered object which they suspected to be their objective. A train car was position closely to it. "I don't want to make a charge until we have the rest of The Chaotix with us. Besides that, we are terribly out numbered." Mighty explained.

Just then, there was a lot of commotion coming from the other side of the gaggle of enemies they were spying on. "We have intruders!" These two echidnas shouted as they entered the scene. The crowd began to get eccentric and speak among themselves. "We just found Nightwatch 4 passed out and thrown into an abandoned tent!" The two shouted.

Another two just entered the area and began shout out too. "Nightwatch 2 was tied up at the outer border too!"

Immediately, the echidnas began grabbing and chambering their guns. It was hard to tell how they were organized but one thing was for sure was who the higher ups were as they had a red band across their arm and were pointing their fingers frivolously ordering around small fireteams; some ran out to go investigate the rest of the amusement park and some stayed for security forces.

"Do you need me to try and find the others?" Saffron offered.

"Yes! Be careful though. I have a feeling they won't be too kind to anyone they find." He advised. Saffron nodded and flew off.

She maneuvered around the debris and junk that littered the abandoned amusement park, taking extra caution seeing as they were not on high alert. It was not long before she came up on Knuckles and Julie su, waiting not too far off of a different part of the surrounding area that Mighty Matilda and Ray were spying on, and told them what the rest of her team found out.

"Great job Saffron. Go and find Vector Espio and Charmy. Guide them to the area and have them take cover. We'll wait a little longer for the fireteams that went out to search for us to get some more distance so we can worry about as few numbers as possible. Once we get eyes on each other, everyone will wait for my signal then we'll move in."

Saffron nodded her head in compliance. "Understood Knuckles!" She then flew off to continue on her mission.

A few minutes later, she rejoined her own team. "Look out for the other groups waiting around like we are. Knuckles is going to give us the signal to charge." She concluded playing messenger for the time being.

"Ok, I think I see them." Mighty said as a small flash of light kept flickering over his eyes. He gave a subtle thumbs up to acknowledge the fact he knew their position. Once he did, he could vaguely see Julie su holding something, most likely a mirror to divert some light to grab their attention, as she moved it to her otherside. He deduced that this was to signal Vector and his group.

His eyes did not waiver from Knuckles and Julie su's position as he waited anxiously for their signal to move in. And finally, he saw a hand pivot down toward their objective. The three groups jumped up and charged.

Their surprise attack took the enemy off guard as the few seconds it took them to react was enough for The Chaotix to be right on the outer line. Knuckles, Mighty, Vector and Matilda continued to slug the ERA right and left. The sounds of shouts, jabs and smacks, and chambers racking from the ERA with guns filled the air.

"Why aren't you twits firing!" One of the higher ups shouted toward the ERA behind the initial front line.

"We can't get a clear shot without possible friendly fire on our own guys!" They responded.

Charmy Ray and Saffron was flying around in the air, dodging and drawing fire being directed toward them. Every once in a while they would swoop down and either kick the guns out of some of their hands or land a heavy hit from the aerial attack. Julie su had her gun on a taser mode and shot rapidly, stunning each opponent while Espio was using his gear to stun and daze his combatants as well. It was an all out brawl.

Enemy after enemy, they seemed to just keep coming. The riflemen of the ERA tried effortlessly to find a clear shot but the hand-to-hand combat of their men on the front line with The Chaotix was too hectic to ensure a clear shot. So they sat and waited for an opportunity, finding only a few every minute or so which they missed every time. Every once in a while some of the soldier foes would land a strong hit on Knuckles and his crew but they have been through enough that it didn't faze them too much.

"Grrr. We can't just keep fighting forever!" Julie su shouted as she was getting both tired and anxious from shooting, landing a few punches, rolling to dodge some gunfire, and then repeating the process.

"We need to get to that weapons cache!" Vector gave his observation.

Mighty looked up and saw the large stack being guarded by a good few members of the ERA. Not only that, other henchmen were frivolously at work to load up the weapons onto the train for extraction. "We're running out of time guys!"

"I'm on it!" The voice of a familiar chameleon arose from an unseen source. He bolted toward the crane operations and flung himself up. He latched onto a bar, swung a few times to gain momentum and then leaped to a higher platform. Still invisible he ran down the length of the platform, overturning any sharpshooters that were posted there. He made it to the edge where he leaped to the end of the crane about to pick up the large heap of weapons. Quickly, he withdrew a knife and started sawing away at the cord.

The rest of the crew down below was still slowly making their way to their objective. Frantically spinning, fighting, evading, they were able to keep themselves moving forward with so far no injuries.

"Julie watch out!" Knuckles shouted as he dove and tackled his partner just after spotting one of the riflemen of the ERA taking aim at her. The two slammed the ground just in time to avoid the shot.

Of course they still watched each other's backs to avoid such injuries.

After some effort, Espio was able to cut the cable that attached the end of the crane to the rest of the structure. It began falling and he gallantly leapt, spinning backward, to get clear of the destruction. He shot out his tongue and latched onto a piece of the rafters of the area and pulled himself to safety. Once there, he continued to swiftly move down to rejoin the fight.

As the end of the crane came crashing down, many of the ERA still in the area, waiting for their turn to join the fight, dispersed to avoid death by falling debris. This opened up a path right to the weapons cache. Julie su and Matilda were the ones that got their first. They flipped over the tarp and saw six large missiles with diameter larger than the size of their heads.

"Su! Matilda! We'll keep these goons occupied while you work with the weapons!" Knuckles shouted at the two mechanized females ogling the large missiles. He then redirected his commands to their aerial troupe. "Saffron Charmy Ray! Take out anyone dumb enough to shoot at Julie su and Matilda! We don't need us all to go down in a catastrophic explosion." The three flyboys (and flygirl) zoomed off to follow their orders.

"Holy shit I recognize these things!" Julie su shouted as she continued to examine the missiles.

"Same here." Matilda answered in her normal unenthused tone.

"MR-11 IRB Missiles!" They stated, forgetting they both can be traced back to the Legion where the missiles originated from.

"They must have either had these in their possession since the fall of the Eggman Empire or the Black Market is still strong with its remnants." Julie su explained.

"The easiest way to neutralize these things is to take out the guidance and control interface. It's located at the joint of the navigation system and the firing sequence pretty much rendering them useless." The armadillo continued to explain.

"Couldn't say it better myself girl. Let's get to work!" The two hopped around working their way to from the top to the bottom. They used their mechanized limbs to bust through the steel casing near the avionics of the missiles. They quickly looked in and found the small box they were looking for and ripped them out.

"Got one down!" Julie su shouted as Matilda held up a box that looked identical to the one in the pink echidna's hands.

"Make it two." She shouted.

"Julie su, what's the scoop?" Knuckles shouted out to her as he was finishing busting up another foe. He took a quick dodge to the right to avoid a hook, ducked under his opponent's arms and swung his leg back to trip him up. As he was falling Knuckles slammed his elbow into the back of his adversary's head knocking him out. Immediately after, a rifleman too close to use his gun for its intended purpose, thrust the butt of his gun in the red echidna's direction. But his large gloves were able to catch the gun with hardly any impact pain. He gripped it and threw it back bringing his challenger forward to meet his other glove with a punch to the face.

"Give us a few minutes. We'll have these things turned into a worthless antique in no time." Julie su answered.

The two females were frantically at work taking out the missiles. 'Three' and one would move on to the next missile. 'Four' and the other would move on.

"I got my last one. Matilda?" It was getting hard for Julie su to carry the three bulky pieces but she managed. They would have to move quickly seeing as it would be hard to keep a grip on the small boxes they were handling.

"Got it!" The green armadillo shouted in response.

"Knuckles!" Was all the guardian's partner had to shout before he was ready to go.

He reached in his glove and pulled out a warp ring, flicked it and tossed it into the air. "Chaotix! Let's move out!" And immediately Vector, Mighty and Espio leaped into the portal disappearing onto the other side. Next was Charmy Saffron and Ray as they buzzed in.

"Let's go!" Knuckles then jumped into the ring and vanished with another 'shazap!'

Matilda dashed to the ring and made it in with all of her obtained missile components. It only left Julie su. She ran toward it. It was starting to close. She picked up her pace but her foot snagged on a piece of stray debris that was littering the area. In her fall, her three interfaces that she took from the missiles left her grip and scattered on the ground. She quickly looked up and saw two right in front of her. She grabbed them and tossed them into the warp ring. But where was the last one? Her head was twitching in all directions to try and find it.

And as if she didn't need any more distractions, a gunshot was heard followed by the whiz of the bullet zooming by her dreadlocks. A quick second perspective was gained as the ERA was closing in on her. She looked up at the warp ring getting smaller and smaller. "Skrew it!" She shouted as she ran toward the ring. As she got closer, she saw the last interface lying on the other side of the ring. Letting her reflexes take control, she slid down on the ground right underneath the hovering gold portal. She grabbed the box and leapt into the warp ring just as it closed. Mission complete.


	22. A Secret Man's Mission

**Author's Note:**

Another update after a long standoff but it's here. This semester is done and I am really getting excited for this last stretch of the story so I'll be trying to get as much of it uploaded soon. Some people were confused about what went on last chapter but as I've said before - everything has a purpose and will all come together (and in the next few chapters I may add). But anyway, here is some more Team Dark action for ya.

Read, Review, & Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 22: A Secret Man's Mission

Shadow sat quietly, as he tends to do, on the center couch in the G.U.N. main lounge. The television in front of him buzzed as his head was propped up by an arm, rested on the armrest. His fingers mindlessly tapped at this temple in a constant rhythmic pattern.

"Tensions continue to rise in the U.F. as more and more people urge to break off any connections with our allied Mobian nations and are even going as far as desiring G.U.N to attack said nations!" The news on the television was at a volume some would consider uncomfortable. The woman's voice echoed through the lounge. "With the deterioration of U.F. infrastructure and constant cyber hacks across the nation, many of the hysteric population are putting blame on the Kingdom of Acorn and the Echidna Nation. President Martin continues to convey to the nation that all of this is due to this ambiguous 'Hook' character and his 'Research Affairs.' But some people don't quite agree and are willing to say 'Hook' is actually a new age overland hero who foresaw treacherous acts by the Mobians. But is that the case? Web forums and social media sites are buzzing about this controversy. But if that is the case, what does that say about U.F.'s own Mobian citizens? We've gone to the streets to ask people of their opinion…" The drone of the news coverage continued just as so, Shadow continued to blankly stare and listen.

But suddenly the dark hedgehog's silent tranquility was pleasantly interrupted as Hope flung herself over the back of the couch and plopped right next to Shadow. "Sup Shady." Shadow didn't react other than slowly letting out a sigh mixed with a small hint of a smug grin. He never was one for showing how he truly felt but though he often acted like he was dismissing or even annoyed by her interaction, he enjoyed it more than not. Besides, she saw past his façade anyway.

After her intrusion, Hope sat there with that clipboard of hers going over some checks of some sort. Shadow slightly tilted his head toward her as it pivoted on his arm. "You're interrupting my alone time." He said dryly.

The girl threw down her clipboard on the coffee table in front of them as she finished whatever checks she was doing, scooted close to Shadow, and began playfully rubbing her shoulder into his. "Oh, does the ultimate grumpy not like his little sister around when he's being all mopey?"

Shadow sat there taking it, all the while holding a patiently annoyed expression. It didn't hold for long and he gently pushed her off of him converting his face to one that said he was having at least a little bit of fun with her antics. He even smiled a little. "Ha! Is that a smile? 'Hope Kintobor: girl genius and the only one to make Shadow smile.' Don't you just love me bro?" She said with humor filled pride.

"Loads." He answered. In the past years, as Hope has grown up, she often viewed Shadow and Rouge as her own siblings seeing as she didn't have much other family. Shadow just accepted it and took it with a grain of salt. If anything, he was a big brother to her and he too viewed her and Rouge as part of his family. It didn't help that Hope never ceased to remind him of a special someone. But all in all, he did enjoy being around her, despite how he never let that show, and she did have a strange capability to bring out something in the angsty hedgehog that no one else could. But their 'family bonding' moment came to a pause as something on the television caught both their attention; the mentioning of Team Dark.

"…with Team Dark on our side! It's frightening! We have our enemy as some of our top G.U.N. agents! We are literally sitting ducks, waiting for them to turn on us and tear us apart from the inside out!" A quite passionate man responded as the news reporter stood next to him holding her microphone up to his face.

"But Team Dark has been working for G.U.N. for many years, played a significant role in bringing down Dr. Eggman and has save the U.F. from certain peril on many accounts. What do you say about that?" She brought the microphone back to the man so he can make his response.

"The Eggman was all of Mobius' enemy. Those furries had every right to fight him like we did. But who says they haven't planned it from the beginning? Waiting for the world to settle down so they can take us when we least expect it. Besides, what kind of blasted name is _Team Dark_ anyway? Who the hell are they trying to kid?"

The woman continued the interview, "What about the confirmed attacks on the Echidna Nation at Albion? Many of the Mobians are saying they were at the hands of overlanders here in the U.F."

"I say I hope it was! It's about time we stood up against these things. Besides, historically we were here first!" Just then a Mobian couple walked a little behind the news reporter and the interviewee. The man cocked his head around and gave them a nasty leer. "You furballs are lucky a camera's here." The man mumbled under his breath.

"Aurora! This is horrible!" Hope exclaimed as they sat there watching.

Shadow crossed his arms and let out a 'hmph.' "Tensions have been rising. Hook is bringing about a kind of hysteria about it all. I wonder if it's part of his plans or if he's trying to plot a worldwide civil war."

"Well maybe that's it! Maybe that's what he's doing all along!"

"No." The two heard the third party's voice and turned their heads over the back of the couch to see Rouge walking into the room. "This man has something large planned and we still don't know what." As she moved in she gave Shadow a playful 'whap' from her right wing causing a highly discontented grunt to arise from his throat. She sat on the other end of the couch. "And apparently Tower has a mission to help figure out what. Just got off the phone with him."

"Like what?" Though Hope wasn't part of the field crew she always was curious about the dealing with Team Dark. Even if she wasn't one of the mission's monitoring crew.

"Don't really know. Tower says these orders come directly from McCoy and that he wants to meet with us privately." She extended her hand to inspect her fingernails, acting all nonchalantly.

"Is it just me or does that guy make anyone else nervous?" The girl stated her mind.

"I don't know." Shadow let out a soft grin. "I kind of the like the character."

"Oh of course you would!" Rouge snapped. "Nothing to worry Hope. McCoy has worked for U.F. before it was the U.F.! He's been here longer than any of us. Yeah he's a little mysterious but you don't see us questioning Mr. Gloomy over there." The bat let out a small sneer.

"So when are we to meet with McCoy?" Shadow asked trying to revert to the one thing he really cared about at the moment: the mission.

"Right now." The unusual man whom they were referring to appeared behind the couch.

"Oh! Sir!" Rouge snapped up. "You're back from Soleanna! Welcome to G.U.N. Headquarters."

"No need for the formalities. I wouldn't really expect much from the rest of your party anyway." He said toying with Shadow as he still reclined on the couch. "Now if you will." He motioned his hand to the door signaling for them to take their leave and begin mission briefing.

*o*

"This is Aerial Dog zero-niner-two. We're good for dispatch." A jackal sounded from a cockpit of a transport.

"We hear ya Aerial Dog. You are clear for departure. Happy flying."

The transport vertically rose up out from a G.U.N. outpost. Hovering in the air, it made sure it had cleared any surroundings before taking off. "I still don't see why we need a transport." Shadow grumbled.

"Tower wants us to have a support aircraft just in case. He figured we might as well ride with it since we're all going to the same place." Rouge explained.

"Which I don't get because I have orders to fly y'all to a geographical location – they didn't bother telling me where you were going. Just gave me some coordinates in the smack dab middle of nowhere." The pilot shouted back from the open cockpit. "Some top secret shit I suppose. 'm I right handsome?" She turned back and gave Shadow a wink. This caused Rouge to raise an eye brow.

"You are. Miss…?" Shadow said unfazed by her flirts.

"Anput. Warrant Officer Anput." She answered back. "Yup. I'll bring you to your insertion and keep an eye on the skies. You all with your secrets better come back out. Hate to lose a good looking hunk out on something like this."

"Excuse me?!" Rouge blurted out.

"Ha! Cool it honey. What makes you think I wasn't talking about the robot?" The pilot jeered sarcastically.

Shadow finally caught on to the pilot's antics and couldn't help but grin. "Getting a little jealous Rouge?"

"Shut it."

"So y'all hear about those missiles?" The pilot shouted back again in new conversation. Rouge and Shadow glanced at each other in curiosity for they have not. The gal continued. "Apparently the ERA had missile stashed somewhere. Echidna Matriarch Saren-ca sent The Chaotix to investigate just before she left for Soleanna. It's a good thing they got that under control. Those radical echidnas wouldn't hesitate to fire upon us. Heh, that'd be some shit wouldn't it."

"You said they _did_ get it under control?" Rouge called back to the pilot.

"Yup. Got that stuff all cleared away last night apparently." Shadow and Rouge gave each other some silent communication as they shrugged off the current events lecture. "I'll let you know when we are getting close to the LZ. For now just sit tight and enjoy the ride."

…

Once the transport got to their designated location, the trio of special agents unloaded from the transport and took off. The scenery quite something as nothing but rocky wasteland was in the surrounding area for miles. It was a very hot desert as it was noted to being lower than sea level. Only one of the members of the party had been there before and that was nearly seven years ago as Shadow was still in search of 'who he was.' The pilot had orders to remain stationary and keep watch on radar for anything that may interfere. It wasn't long before Team Dark got out of view of the transport and made it to their ordered mission start.

Sitting in front of them was what looked like a massive cave opening except it was filled to the top with collapsed rock and debris. "Well here we are. Just like the photo McCoy showed us. No wonder there'd be an ancient underground base here. I didn't think anyone ventured into this decrepit valley. When do you think the last time was when this place saw a living soul?" Rouge asked as her eye piece continued to get some data readings.

"Not as long as you think. I've been here before. Luckily I don't have Sonic or his metallic doppelganger here to interfere." The hedgehog responded.

"You've been here?! And Sonic?" Rouge was a little taken off guard.

"I can see why McCoy has us here. Though I haven't a clue of how he found out about this place or its connection with the ancient humans." He continued to be all ominous.

"Want to give an explanation hun or are you just going to keep us all in the dark?" The bat continued to inquire getting a little flustered at her partnering agent's reclusiveness.

"I can explain it later. Right now we need to get inside. Unfortunately I don't know what still or what new resides inside."

"Well, we're about to find out. Omega, you know what to do." The bat commanded.

Instantly, the large robot's armor disassembled and opened up numerous kinds of weapons. "Opening passage way. Stay clear." He called out then immediately fired a massive arrangement of artillery at the blocked passage. In a large explosion, rocks came tumbling down and a passageway near the top of the blockade opened up.

"Geez, you guys hit a bomb or something?!" The pilot from the transport called over their com link.

"Nope. Just knocking on the door." Rouge answered back.

"Good… I'd of felt pretty awkward if you didn't respond…"

Rouge rolled her eyes then turned to her two partners, "Alright that should be good for us to get in." She then flew up and swooped Shadow up in the air. Omega fired his jets and they floated up to the top of the barricade. Landing at the top, they maneuvered into the large cavern and made their way down.

It was apparent activity in this ancient relic of a compound had been slim to none since Shadow first explored it roughly seven years back. Of course activity had been absolutely none for a good number of thousand years before then and the rapid deterioration from being open and exposed has really caught up to the place. As the team continued to move through, they could see the metal finish that encased the walls floor and ceiling were beginning to rust. Though maybe not apparent by the naked eye but much of the old computer systems that had worked during Shadow's first excursion in the old facility were rotting, as much as computers could, from the inside.

"This place is pretty big. I don't suspect we'll run into any trouble here but that explosion would be enough to draw any to us." Shadow stated calmly as they made their way in.

Rouge made her way over to some of the large computer towers and old LCD monitors that lined the hallways. "A facility from the time of the Xorda attacks… McCoy wasn't kidding."

"Let's get going. I can't say I remember exactly which halls lead where but we need to get to that central lab." Commanded the brooding hedgehog before lowering his tone to only himself. "I wonder if Isaac is still around…"

They continued to navigate the large corridors and hallways passing through open rooms, different research labs, bunkers, and storage areas. Occasionally they'd see a lizard or beetle scurry across the floor or walls but other than that it was so far an uneventful visit, much to their appreciation.

They must have been far into the facility now. Shadow recognized a few of the places like the room with all the broken pipes from his initial brawl with Sonic way back. They kept moving.

After a while, the whole place was beginning to get a little monotonous. Each hallway looked the same, the differing labs all resembled each other, and there was no sign or directory to tell them that the main lab, and their destination, was approaching.

After delving further into the complex, they came up on a good indication that they were close; a large sealed door. "I'll bet a chaos emerald that something important is behind that thing." Rouge stated as she slowly walked up to it and gave a few knocks on it to see how thick it was.

"Odd." Rouge and Omega turned to see Shadow over by a control panel to the side of the door. "Apparently the controls are still in operation." He said rubbing his chin in perplexity. "Even worse, it's active meaning it was used not too long ago."

"Well there goes all hope for an easy mission." The bat let out a sigh.

"I could do for the excitement." Shadow huffed. "I'm going to open the door. Be prepared for anything or anyone on the other side." Rouge adjusted her data scanner and got close to the side of the door opposite of Shadow while Omega began arming himself. "On my mark…" The hedgehog looked around at his team to make sure they were all ready. Rouge gave him a small nod as she was positioned on the toes of her boots, ready to jump forward as soon as the door opened.

"Awaiting orders." Omega stated.

"Mark!" Immediately the door slid open and the team moved in. Rouge and Shadow took opposite sides and stayed close to the wall while Omega took cautious steps right up the middle. The three had their eyes, or scanners, pivoting around the room for anything.

"My data scanner's not picking anything up." Rouge stated as she began to let her guard down a bit.

"Sensors indicate the room is clear." Omega complimented Rouge's conclusion.

"Isaac." Shadow simply stated as he walked up toward the center of the room. Rouge and Omega turned and saw him standing above what looked like a pile of scrap metal.

"Is that… Gamma?" The bat noted as she got close enough to take note of some specific features of the old robot.

"Appearance is similar to that of E-102 Gamma however this model is much older." The other robot in the room called out.

"How much older?"

"_Much_ older." Shadow finished as he started kicking it over to see its underside. Once he did, there was a large gaping hole in the torso section of the robot.

"Someone or something did that to him." Rouge called out as she began to swivel her head around for another look at the room for anything suspicious.

"Yes but judging by this thing's condition it wasn't recent." The hedgehog analyzed not realizing it was done by Dr. Finitevius many years back. "I don't think anyone's been here for a while."

"I wouldn't speak just too soon pal. Come look at this." Shadow turned to see his partner over near a large panel board with different small monitors attached to it. He walked over to join her while Omega stood guard. "I guess with this room being sealed off more than the other parts of this place it has stayed intact a bit better. Not all of this computer system has fallen apart." If anything, a good indication of the truth behind her statement was a few flickering screens with some green text on them.

"Warning. Doctor Robotnik identified. Permission to engage?" Omega sounded off causing a chill to run down his two teammates' spines.

"What?!" Rouge spun around and looked toward where Omega was facing and saw a large cryogenic capsule with the figure of a person inside. "AHH!"

"Omega, spotlight that capsule!" Shadow ordered as the object was resting back in a dark corner. Omega complied and they soon gazed upon a being, suspended in cryogenic sleep that no doubt resembled the late Dr. Robotnik. The three stood frozen until Shadow spoke up again. "Something's not right here…" He moved closer to the capsule.

He moved around it, looked inside, and browsed different components of the life system before making his final conclusion. "It's not the Eggman."

At this, Omega powered down some of his weapons and unchambered some of his ammunition.

"And what makes you so sure?" Rouge posed now a little more at ease.

"Physical appearance has an 87% resemblance to subject known as 'The Eggman.'" The robot called out again.

"This facility is many thousands of years old. It was used by a Dr. Niven, a Professor Clark, and a Dr. Ivan Kintobor. It was originally used to study the alien species Xorda." Shadow began to explain.

"Xorda? Like _the_ Xorda?" Rouge beckoned.

"Yes. This is where they dissected the Xorda emissary that caused them to drop the Gene Bombs on ancient 'Earth.' Apparently Dr. Ivan Kintobor placed himself in cryogenic sleep after our disassembled buddy Isaac here was created with Xorda genetics. Though I don't know what happened to Niven or Clark." Shadow moved back toward the capsule of the ancient human. "This must be Ivan. Isaac was programmed to guard him."

"And how do you happened to know all this?"

"Last time I was here Isaac was a bit 'livelier'. He told me everything."

"So this is an ancient human…" The bat stood a little in perplexity of the situation. "Regardless, let's get what we came for and get out of here. This place gives me the creeps." She proposed as she began moving back toward the large panel board. "Now, where would a data outlet be…" She said to herself as she examined the artifact.

Shadow moved back to Isaac and began doing some examining of his own while Omega continued to scan the premises for anything of danger when suddenly, "Umm, guys?"

"What is it Rouge?"

"A-according to the command history of this old computer, the last command was entered about two minutes before we opened the door to this place." Suddenly the seemingly only door to the room, or at least the only door Team Dark knew of, slammed shut. They were locked in.

"Presence detected." Omega began to lock and load when two small red dots were seen in a dark upper corner of the lab for only an instant before they disappeared.

"Rouge, Omega, regroup in the center of the room! Omega, don't hesitate to kill that thing!" Shadow ordered as he drew a gun, knowing what those red dots meant according to Lien da's logs (Team Dark was able to access them in accordance with the decisions made at the Second Soleanna Convention).

"Don't bother." A voice, presumably owned by the assassin, called out. Suddenly a blue flash took shape in the form of an electric ball and was flung toward them.

"Move!" Rouge called out as she and Shadow dove to the sides. A large pulse pumped from the ball and all lights and electronics in the vicinity shut down. Including Omega.

"Grrr, what the hell happened!?" Shadow shouted out.

"Hehe, I turned off the lights. Keep yelling, because that would be the smart thing to do right?"

'He's toying with us.' Shadow thought. He assumed Rouge made the same connection. "Rouge." He whispered.

"Yeah?" She answered back with a similar volume.

"We need to get what we came for and get out of here."

"And what about Omega? We can't just leave him here!"

'No we can't.' He thought again. "Try to get the big guy back online. I have a plan. We need to–" But his commands were interrupted.

"You honestly think your whispering can't be heard. And this is supposed to be G.U.N.'s best team? Ha!" The voice called out again. Shadow and Rouge continued to look around in the dark room for the only sign of their hostile's presence; those two red dots. "I'm going to have fun tipping you off. And let me guess, McCoy sent you here. Am I right?"

"What's it to you?" Rouge called out. "Shadow, I can't see a thing. I'm turning on my light – keep an eye for this guy will ya?" Just then she flicked on the light that was attached to her data reader and began working on Omega.

'How the hell am I supposed to keep my eyes on this guy when I can't see a blasted thing!' The hedgehog said to himself. Both he and Rouge didn't like the situation at all. Rouge was clearly out in the open with her light and Shadow didn't know how well this guy could maneuver in the dark. For all he knew, he could be jumped by the crazed assassin at any second and he would have no idea.

Finally, he caught a quick glimpse of those two red dots. Immediately he began firing at the figure but the clanks of his bullets hitting the metal backdrop was enough to tell him he was missing. "Damn." He looked back at Rouge while she was still working on Omega. "Rouge, get back."

Immediately she sprung up. "Where is he?"

"I don't know, come over here!" He was beginning to sound frantic which wasn't helping settle the panic the two agents were feeling at the moment.

"W-why, what's going on?"

"We're sitting ducks! Get against a wall so this guy doesn't take us out!" He shouted.

"Oh come on. I haven't moved but a few feet! You really want to fear?" The assassin called out to his prey. He let out a sinister laugh as it echoed from the walls making it seem like its origin came from every corner of the room. 'Where the hell is he?'

'Clank!' It was to their left. Rouge shone her light in that direction. 'Bing!' No, it was to their right. Rouge moved the light again. 'Smack!' He was in front of them! 'Ching!' He was behind them now. Their heart rates were out the roof. Shadow fired a shot blindly in mere hopes to hit him. Then there was that laugh again.

"Why don't you just kill us now!"

"Because I hardly get any face time in my line of work. Father says it's not healthy but sometimes… it's fun." The assassins red eyes appeared again and Shadow took another shot. They then suddenly appeared on the other end of the room, this time without the loud sounds he was intentionally making earlier. "Most of my targets are killed before they even know they were being hunted." Shadow fired his gun again but like clockwork, those red dots appeared in another part of the room. "Hehe, you have to catch me!"

"Chaos control?" Rouge whispered her inquiry to her partner.

"No. I would have been able to sense it. He's just…really good." Then suddenly, something clicked in the dark hedgehog. "Chaos -" Instantly he appeared in between the last two places he saw his opponent. "-Control!" To Shadow's luck, he was right next to his assassin. He could make out the slight outline of a figure roughly the same height as him.

"Whoa." Was all the figure could say before Shadow hit him with a Chaos Spear. But as soon as he had, the figure disintegrated into the darkness again. "Lucky shot." The source of the small coarse voice was gone but little did he know, Shadow now had an upper hand. His Chaos Spear had left a small trace of chaos energy on the assassin. Shadow could now track him.

"Rouge, get back to working on Omega! I'll cover you." Shadow ordered.

Without hesitating, the bat bolted toward her downed partner and continued to try to bring him back online. 'I sure hope you know what you're doing Shady.' She mumbled under her breath.

"Sending your friend out in the open to die first is quite cowardly I might say."

"Says the guy hiding in the dark." The hedgehog sneered.

"Fine then."

Shadow turned to see more blue light being emulated from another electrical source. This time it was coming right at him. He jumped over him as he felt the assassin get close and swung his foot back. But the foe quickly and effortlessly evaded the kick. The assailant swung his hands back toward Shadow and one of his electric batons smacked into one of Shadow's four suppressor rings. It fried and fell from his wrist. "Bad mistake." He threw an elbow in his enemy's direction but it moved again. The electrical impulses from his weapon ceased and Shadow lost visual of the figure. Fortunately he still could feel him. He turned to see his signature red dotted imitation eyes on the other end of the room. He made a bolt toward Rouge. "Chaos-"

The assassin was about to make a possibly fatal blow to Rouge when Shadow intervened. "-Control!" He threw a fist into the stomach of the garbed figure and sent him back before he disappeared again. Shadow followed his movements by the chaos trace he planted and continued to watch him. "How much longer Rouge?"

"Er. I can't fix the problem. This little shit must have used an EMP." She explained while still dealing with her tinkering. "You still got him handled?"

"Better than he thinks I do." He smugly replied and was off again. He ran over to the assassin to engage once more in hand-to-hand. Dodging the killer's taser-like weapons, he would put just as equal of an effort to lay a fist on him but the little hooded guy was too quick. Shadow could tell he knew how to fight, and even more, had a specific instinct that set him apart from other foes he faced.

Suddenly, the attacker found an opportunity and took it. He slammed the back of the baton into the side of Shadow's head causing him to go down. "I'm impressed." He said coarsely as he stood over Shadow. "Somehow you've been able to follow me." The flicker of his electric batons hovered in Shadow's face. "I didn't expect to have anyone here so you all caught me without some of my gear. But whether you get out of here, which I highly doubt, it's not like your mission will be a success." At this notion, the figure took out a small compact disk he kept concealed in his garment, threw it on the ground and smashed the electrical end of his baton into it rendering it a useless heap of burnt plastic. Shadow let out a heavy growl as he witnessed his mission end right then and there; he wasn't one to take too kindly when he failed a mission. "We figured that McCoy would be after it so I was sent to get rid of it. Now I get to get rid of you."

The assassin moved into position as the flashes of electricity surged the ions in the air surrounding the tip of his baton. He pulled his arm back to drive it into the hedgehog. "Not today at least." Shadow then moved for his gun – somehow the assassin must have forgot about it – and pulled the trigger. The assassin was gone again however, seeing Shadow grab for it just before he took the shot.

The hedgehog jumped up and noticed the pest was again on the other side of the room. Grinning madly, Shadow pulled up his gun and shot. Bang, bang, bang, click, click. His smile grew. Casually the ultimate lifeform walked up to the center of the room and stood behind Rouge as she threw down some of the wires she was handling. "It's no use. I can't get him started." She quietly told her partner.

"I'm curious as to why you wasted your final shots. Even more so why you haven't put another magazine into that pistol of yours."

"Haven't been able to hit you so far. So why fool myself into thinking they'd be useful." He responded, hoping to bring his enemy closer.

"Very well." The figure jumped from the shadows, starting up the electrical portion of his weapon of choice mid-leap. If Shadow didn't have a trace on him, he would have never seen it coming and surely paid for it. But that was not the case. Just before the assailant was able to slam his taser into Shadow, he grabbed Rouge from behind him and dove to the side. The baton stuck straight into Omega's open control panel and sent a shock through his mechanized body.

The now living arsenal began to stand, causing the assassin to step back a bit. "E-123 Omega, online."

"Omega, fire everything you've got! Fire it everywhere!" Shadow shouted and just then, Omega started to unload. Automatics, missiles, high caliber rounds, all of it were dispensed in all directions. Shadow remained on the ground on top of Rouge, sheltering her from any kind of explosions and debris, and kept eyes on where the door was. "Omega, concentrate fire at your four o'clock!"

"Complying." The robot turned and fired another round of his armament at the door, blasting a hole straight through it.

Shadow then stood up, helped Rouge to her feet as well, dashed over to Isaac and gave it one hefty punch, busting through its plating and grabbed a bunch of microchips and other computer parts. "Omega, make way for the exit, we're out of here!" The hedgehog shouted while he jumped up onto Omega's shoulders. Rouge quickly followed suit. Suddenly, Omega's jets were firing and they flew out of the room they were so recently trapped in. "Don't stop until we get outside Omega."

"You got it." It replied in his mechanic voice. Zooming down the hallways of the facility they made their way back to the entrance. Left, right, left. Omega still had the original path they took in his memory banks and didn't need to be directed on which way to go.

They had made it to the main entrance still mostly blocked by all the rock. They flew out the top and landed on the other side. "One last favor Omega. Seal up that entrance."

Omega fired a single missile and landed it right underneath the overhang of the entrance. Rocks crumbled and collapsed, closing it off. "What the hell was that thing in there?!" Rouge asked shaking from the adrenaline from their time locked in that room with the assassin.

"I don't know. Had somewhat of a childish demeanor to him though." He mumbled the last part as he let some thoughts slip aloud. "We better get moving before it shows up again. We got lucky."

"You don't think he's trapped in there?" The bat said a bit more calmly now as she stood at the side of her partner.

"He was in there before we were. There must have been another way in." Shadow explained.

Rouge let out a heavy sigh. "We'll have to break it to McCoy and Tower that we failed the mission."

Shadow looked down at his clenched fist and slowly opened it to reveal a small microchip. "Not exactly." He switched his attention to the transport COMs. "Anput, we need extraction. Care to pick us up?"

"Damn right I do! Been trying to get in touch with you three for quite some time now. I've got orders to get you three back yesterday! Someone shot a bunch of missiles and attacked the U.F." She explained. The three could hear the engines start from a short distance away as the transport was getting ready to take flight for extraction.

"What?! I thought you said The Chaotix took care of the ERA!" Rouge shouted over the headset.

"I did say that. And they did take care of it."

"Then who sent the missiles?" Shadow inquired.

"Dunno. But G.U.N. Headquarters is no more that's for damn sure. Targeted that place first." The pilot answered back.

Shadow stood there in shock. "Hope." His eyes grew and his fists clenched. Sweat was beading off his face as it scrunched into something fierce. He stormed over to Rouge, grabbed her hand and slammed down the microchip in it. "Make SURE McCoy gets this. I'll meet you back at HQ." He stepped away and threw back his arms. "Chaos!-"

"Shadow wait!" She tried to argue but it was too late. He was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's [Second] Note:<strong>

Again, as stated, I try to make things close to canon so most information about that facility came straight from the comics. I also had to keep up with a forming tradition of mine: a cameo from a character from my first fanfic - someone I didn't expect to be a fan favorite (in regards to that one story) but ended up being one. Just a little fyi for ya.


	23. On Edge

**Author's Note:**

It is a little short but I guess it's the quality of chapter and not the quantity of words that matters.. But then again, kind of a lesser chapter in my mind. A few extra details had to be attended to though. The next chapter will be up quite soon seeing as I've had half of it written for months now. I'm really excited for the upcoming chapters as they'll be pretty intense; it's where everything will come together then the final bout. Thanks for sticking with it all so far. Definitely my biggest writing project so far and I'm hoping to get this done within a month or two.

Read, Review, and Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 23: On Edge

"So let me get this straight," Sonic began as he walked with his royal counterpart and sibling down through the residential portion of the city. "Even after we save her from torture and near death, she still withheld information from us?"

"I'm afraid some people aren't as humble as you would think." Elias answered back.

"Somehow I'm not surprised." The blue hedgehog mumbled.

"Regardless, even if she had any top secret U.F. research how would that help us in getting Hook?" Sally asked.

"It won't." The king said sternly. "But it may just help in figuring out what he is up to so that we can finally get one step ahead of this guy." His words started to host a loathful tone. "I'm sick and tired of playing the rebound with this lunatic." Sally gave her brother a concerning look as she didn't know he had this much spite for him.

"Well I guess that works too." Sonic had to make the last statement as the three walked up to their destination and gave a few solid knocks on the door.

As he did, the door creaked open and a blood red echidna peered from its confines. "What the hell do you noble buffoons want?"

"We have a few more questions for you. May we come in?" Elias asked as it was still pretty apparent that he was not in the best of moods.

"A please would have been nice but I guess I can't say no to the king." She sneered back, opening the door to its full length and let the three walk in. "Can I get you anything? A beer?"

"I think we're good, thanks." The monarch simply replied for all three of them as he took his seat on the couch. Sonic let out a little sigh but a stern look from Sally was a good reminder that he probably should follow suit.

"Your lose." Lien da answered as she too took a seat except in a chair opposite of the couch that Elias Sally and Sonic rested on. "So what's the deal?"

"I don't usually go for the direct route but I must apologize, I'm not in the mood for formalities. You've withheld information from us." Elias cut straight to business.

"Yeah. So?"

"So? We saved your sorry ass!" Sonic called out.

"Calm down princey. You sound like my sister." Lien da said with a suppressed smile. "Besides, I don't have to speak in front of you two second-in-charges."

"Yes you do." Elias explained. "We, as in the U.F., the Echidna Nation and the Kingdom of Acorn, have decided to put our main group of agents in the center of our efforts against Hook to speed things up so to speak. Seeing as they are in charge of the Freedom Fighters, you don't have an excuse not to speak."

"Except you forgot one thing; I don't have to speak if I don't want to. Nice little system you got here in your Kingdom with all your _freedoms_ and such." She let out a confident huff.

"Look, you know firsthand who we're dealing with. You've seen what he's done to our Kingdom and you've heard how he's been taking down the United Federation's infrastructure from the inside out." Sally's plea only but raised an eyebrow from Lien da. She sighed. "You've heard what he did to Albion at Bogside Market."

As much as Lien da didn't want it to be true, that did hit home a little. She looked off to the side in disgruntlement. "This Hook guy is crazy and won't stop until he gets what he wants. Even worse – he's smart."

"Well Eggman was smart." Sonic jeered.

"He was smart, but he was also a dumbass."

"So are you going to tell us about Project Glass Lien da?" Sally beckoned being the more sympathetic one.

The ex-criminal sat there motionless. "Yeah sure." She finally shrugged. She readjusted her position to get ready for her little confession. "I'm sure G.U.N. has filled you in on the specs behind it so I'll get to the part where I come in. As you know, in the fallout of the Eggman Empire, I worked as a lowly scavenger in a cartel selling whatever we came across in the aftermath of a world ravaged by decades of war. Well word leaked that an old weapon the U.F. was trying to construct was going to be moved from its research facility to some wasteland to be stored and sealed away." She let out a light chuckle. "I bet you can imagine how much something like that would go for. So my boss wanted to get his hands on it. Seeing as how I proved to be actually worth something in comparison to half my counterparts in this business, I was placed in charge of taking it. Nothing too special from there; months of planning, intelligence gathering, stuff like that."

"How and where did you get your intelligence from?" Elias questioned.

Lien da flicked her hand. "I don't know nor did I care. Came down from my boss. I'm sure he has some moles cleverly placed somewhere."

Though the notion wasn't something the head of a nation would want to hear, he had to take it with a grain of salt. "Continue."

"Not a whole lot to go on from after that. The plan was executed smoothly and without a hitch." But there was something about her that set Sonic Sally and Elias off. And it wasn't, surprisingly enough, her smug grin.

"Come on Miss 'I'm so dark and cunning.' Do you expect us to leave on that note?" Sonic poked at her antics.

"So then what happened to the dealings with Project Glass?" The hedgehog's other half asked with a little bit more tact.

"Oh I don't know. Someone got to it before we did." She stated all too casually.

"What?!" Sonic joined in again. "A good detail to over look when you say 'without a hitch.'"

"The plan went beautifully. It's just someone stole the piece before we did."

"So are you telling me that the U.F. had a warrant out for your arrest for stealing a possible weapon of mass destruction when someone else actually stole it before you could?" Elias was quite aggravated as shown by how hard he was rubbing his fingers in his eyes. Lien da let out a slight giggle.

"Lien da, do you realize how serious this is?" Sally urged with more prudence this time. "A terrorist we know nothing about is at large making threats, and carrying out those threats, and has already killed hundreds of lives! He has something big planned that we have only scratched the surface on and now you are saying he might have a biological weapon in his possession?"

"Well _princess_, I didn't say he had it. And besides, he doesn't." She answered

"And what makes you so sure?" Sonic asked.

"That's why Hook kept me alive. He thought I stole it! I figured as much so I kept up the act in order to keep Hook from killing me. But in all honesty I'm a little taken off guard the U.F. thought I stole it too. I mean I was in the midst of doing so but you think with how well their national security is they'd at least have some other lead."

"They were fairly certain if not positive you stole it." Elias said through gritted teeth.

"And what makes us so sure you aren't lying to us? Like how you lied and left this bit out in your initial interigation?" Sonic rose from his seat to barter.

"Listen." She stood up in retaliation. "If I had the designs for some big weapon in my possession or at least knew the whereabouts of said weapon, I'd use it on Hook myself. That bastard is messed up and I feel he's got some plan to do off with the lot of us based on my experiences with him. I'd rather do him in before he beats us to the punch – which with the way you all seem to be handling the situation that won't be too far off." She spat. "I know there's not a lot of trust left in me–"

"Or none at all." Sonic slipped in under his breath.

"–but what I can tell you is I don't have this Project Glass thingy, Hook doesn't have it either, and apparently both the U.F. and that madman thinks I do have it. You can use that how you want or you can just leave it. Now if you excuse me, I'll ask you to leave me alone. There's nothing more I've kept from you."

The room was silent. Sure there wasn't any trust for the evil woman but she had a point. The fact that Hook didn't have some biological weapon that he was so desperate to retrieve and with the given information that he thinks it is now in the hands of his enemies could be used as an advantage against him.

"Very well." Elias said calmly as he stood up from his chair. "But just one thing. Why keep this from us? Why not tell us this previously?"

"Simple. Amnesty. The U.F. wouldn't have heard me out and probably would have imprisoned me regardless of whether I had their project or not. You all had no idea about it so it was of no concern to you. So now that I'm safer here under your authority, I have no issue filling you in. It may have been a different story a few months ago when I was lying in that hospital bed." Her voice began to drop the stern tone as she let out a sigh. "Look, get this Hook guy and end whatever he has planned. I am all for taking him out but my priorities remain with me. I come first in my eyes. I know selfishness is a little foreign to you goody-two shoes but I got out with the best possible outcome and that is all I was concerned about."

The three left the ex-Grandmaster's temporary residence and continued on their way. "Well at least we know Hook doesn't have any serious biological weapons." Sally stated in their walk back to the Palace.

"But he still has other weapons and other means too. He may have been halted with not getting his hands on Project Glass but who's to say he hasn't found something else? We can worry about who has the stolen Project Glass blueprints later. And given that that was only in the design phase, it's not a serious threat at this moment. But…" He stopped.

"Something wrong Elias?" The king's sister asked as she too stopped with Sonic looking back and quickly doing the same.

"We were just so damn close! If she had this Project Glass, we could have seen what was so special that Hook wanted it! We would have had a whole lot more answers! I'm tired of no getting anywhere with this guy!" He shouted as he punted a nearby log that lay stray on the side of the path.

"Elias don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this." Sally said as she comforted her troubled brother. "We've got the Freedom Fighters well on the investigation now and the other three fronts have their teams at work as well." Her smile was soothing and helped calm Elias down.

"And thank Aurora too." He gently and adoringly brushed aside one of his sister's bangs. "How you managed to lead a resistance, bring back our kingdom from the dead, manage it and the Freedom Fighters still baffles me. You truly were meant to be in my stead." He said contracting her smile.

"Oh no." She said as she ushered her brother to keep moving. "We're not going through this self-doubt stuff again. You have been a wonderful king and I don't want you to think anything otherwise."

"Hehe, yes ma'am." He said jokingly as he took his sister's orders.

"I'm serious!" She gave him a hefty fraternal shove. "This is the last time you mope about your or my placement in this Kingdom!"

"Okay! Okay! I get it." He said still with a bit of a chuckle. 'This will _definitely_ be the last time.' He thought a bit more somberly. But suddenly Nicole materialized with the three.

"Sorry to impede but I think you three need to make it down to Freedom HQ."

"Is something wrong Nicole?" Sonic stepped forward to ask.

"Well… Just come see for yourself." Then just like that she was gone. It didn't sit well with the three; any news at this point seemed to be bad news and they had a good hunch who or what it might be about. The royal trio took off with no more hesitation.

…

Thinking it rude to leave his wife and brother-in-law in the dust, Sonic arrived at Freedom HQ simultaneously with his counterparts shortly after their calling. There they saw Tails, Bunnie, Antoine, and Espio in the main room as Nicole was now displayed on one of the monitors.

"Glad you got here quickly." The AI called out as they arrived. With just as much haste in her voice as before, she continued. "We've gotten word the United Federation has been attacked. More specifically, G.U.N." An adjoining monitor flipped on to show the mountain side of G.U.N. Headquarters smoldering. "It didn't happen much long after you left for Lien da's King Elias. G.U.N was hit with Intermediate Range Missiles and has practically been whipped off the map!"

The view on the monitor they were gazing upon zoomed in at the destruction. Sonic squinted as he could have sworn he saw a small green flash in amongst the thick black smoke billowing from the remains of U.F.'s strongest agency. Their eyes were fixed upon the footage of the destruction as their friendly construct continued explaining.

"Nicole, what do our skies look like? Is Freedom HQ or any part of Acorn about to get hit with anything?" Elias immediately jumped to ask.

"Everything is good on our end. I've kept close eyes on everything." She replied giving Elias at least a little bit of comfort. She continued. "I've been trying to get in touch with Commander Tower or Team Dark but I haven't gotten any word on their whereabouts. The reports are that G.U.N.'s defenses were compromised so they couldn't intercept the missiles. Even worse, the ERA are taking claim of the attack."

"Impossible! I spoke with Matriarch Saren-ca this morning, The Chaotix took care of those missiles last night!" Elias was beginning to shout.

"If I may," Espio stepped forward as they all must have forgotten that he was there. "We took out those missiles – there was no way they could have been operable. And according to E.S.T. investigations, there were no other arms in the ERA's possession capable of such attack. This was not the ERA's doing, it was Hook's."

"It's true." Nicole concurred with the chameleon. "It seems the ERA are falling into Hook's hysteria and trying to urge conflict between Mobians and Overlanders by taking claim for the attacks. President Martin, the Matriarch as well as Remington have made public disclaimers about that very thing. But it seems to be hard to believe and many are saying it's their way to try to cover it up and maintain relations. The people are not too fond of their leaders at this point."

"Ze poopcomnins are nearly inciting revolution!" Antoine commentated.

"_Nincompoops_ hun." Bunnie said correcting her husband. "And ah agree. This needs to stop before there is riotin' in the streets!"

"Thankfully for us, our citizens have been a lot more tolerant of the opposite species." Tails stated.

"I think the more plausible reason is that Hook hasn't had a _successful_ major attack on us. Yet." The king said solemnly.

"So are we just going to sit and wait until he does?" Sonic called out as he was roaring for more excitement in this whole affair.

"Calm down honey. We can't just go right in head strong and all. We have to know what Hook is planning. We have to have a plan ourselves." Sally stated as she began rubbing Sonic's arm to ease his anxiousness.

"Ugh." He sighed. "I just don't like being so stagnant. Especially when this guy could be getting the one up on us." He explained.

"Nicole, was there a trace on where the missiles originated from?" Elias asked the A.I.

"Somewhere out in the badlands. Trajectory suggests somewhere in the desert. My analysis has a strong likelihood that it came from Security Outpost 057, Hook's stronghold." She explained gravely.

"It seems this guy has the capability to do far more than what we think he is capable of." Sally notified an observation of her.

"So why doesn't he just go ahead and wipe us all out then?" Sonic inquired.

"Ah'm not sure that's his motive sugh." Bunnie joined in. "Otherwise he would've done it by now don't cha think?"

"Well until he does, I say we turn the tables around and give this guy what he _thinks_ is coming to us!" Sonic rebuked. "All this sitting around doesn't do us any good."

"Stay soft on your words Sonic. This world has had an eventful past few days. Ever since the short time since the Second Soleanna Convention, we've been hit with one blow after another. G.U.N. lies in ruin and we are on the merge of global civil war. Not only that, Hook is hiding in the shadows with something we have yet to uncover." Elias sorrowfully reminded the crew. "We need to know what he is planning before we make any offensive strikes."

Sally scratched her head in thought. "Well we found that roboticizer but Lien da said he wasn't interested in roboticization, just something along those lines."

"And we can't forget the regeneratives he stole." Tails chimed in.

"We can see he's trying to instigate feud between Mobians and Overlanders." Antoine added.

"And something to do with the Xorda attacks on Ancient Earth…" Sonic brought back up.

The crew stood in quick contemplation for a minute or so before Bunnie spoke what everyone was afraid to conclude to. "None of this makes any dag-blasted sense!"

"Don't fret. We have top notch people from three fronts working on this." Elias let out a small sneer. "We'll get to the bottom of this. In due time." He moved over toward the exit. "If you'll excuse me, I need to make my way back to the castle." He let out a sigh. "I need to get in contact with President Martin after this most recent calamity." And the king took his leave.

"Yo Sal. Has your brother been in some kind of funk?... For like months now?" The blue hedgehog asked his counterpart.

"I've noticed it too Sonic. I hope everything is alright with him." She responded.

"We're getting hailed by Knuckles." The computer called out.

"Patch him though." The head of the FFs answered.

"Sonic? Sally?"

"We hear ya Knux." Sonic called to his friend as his face blipped on one of the monitors in the main room. "And now we see that ugly mug of yours as well." He jeered.

"Very funny blue. But the joking aside, I'm sure you've heard what's happened to G.U.N.?" The echidna cut straight to business.

"We've just been informed. Elias is getting with President Martin on the matter." The princess informed.

"Good. Well, I can tell you it wasn't the ERA those traitorous bastards." Knuckled fumed on the other side of the telescreen.

"It's alright Knuckles, I already told them." Espio spoke up.

"So that's where you've been hiding Es!" The Guardian called out as he turned his eyes toward the purple chameleon. "What are you doing spending so much time at Freedom HQ for?"

"He's just been socializing with the rest of us." Knuckles heard Nicole's voice say but couldn't see her since she was currently in the system at that point.

"Whatever floats your boat I guess. Anyway, have you got any word from Team Dark?" He continued.

"Not on this end." Tails spoke up. "Nicole said she was trying to get in touch with them but with no luck."

"I don't like this. Remington and the rest of the E.S.T are having a hard time keeping the people in line. They're calling for things from complete segregation and expulsion of overlanders in the Echidna Nations to complete revolution, and all things in between. I can only imagine what the U.F. is experiencing; overlanders then to be a little more hotheaded than Mobians. Are things just as bad there in Acorn?"

"Thankfully no." Bunnie said to herself as she grabbed Antoine hand, just for the littlest bit of comfort among hear how much turmoil the world was in at that moment.

"Yeah, it's kind of steady over here. Some growing concerns amongst the people I'm hearing but no acting up at least." Sonic answered with a bit more of an explanation.

"Well you may be getting some action yet." Nicole appeared in the middle of the room. "I'm afraid we may have to cut this call short Knuckles." She then directed her attention to Sally, Sonic, Bunnie, Antoine, and Tails. "I just got a distress call from the far borders of Acorn. Apparently riots and raids have begun between Mobians and Overlanders. Hostilities between the two may not be prevalent here near the heart of the Kingdom but the borderlands are a bit different."

"Right. I'll leave you to your duties. Knuckles out." The red echidna's face blipped away from the screen just as it had appeared a few minutes prior.

"Alright Nicole, prep the Mark 2. Antoine, head over to the airstrip and get prepped for flight." Sally took command. "Sonic can you go grab Amy?"

"Sure." He responded.

"I'll come with you Sonic." Tails stated but Sonic stopped and turned toward the taller fox.

"Actually…" He awkwardly scratched the back of his head and avoided eye contact."

"What is it?" Tails inquired.

Meanwhile, Nicole was informing Sally on that status of everything. "The Mark 2 is all set. Antoine and Bunnie are arriving at the airstrip now. By the time you get there Sally everything should be in line and ready to go."

Sally gave her friend a warm smile. "Thanks Nicole." She then turned to Espio. "I don't mean to leave you to–"

But the chameleon already understood. He held out an upward open palm and gently shook his head. "It's fine. Your Kingdom, your dealing. Besides, I probably should get back to the Chaotix anyway."

The princess smiled. "Thanks. Give them my regards." She said then turned away for the exit. "Sonic?"

"Yeah!" He called back to her.

"Let's get going!"

Then it was just Espio and Nicole left in Freedom HQ. "They just get right to business don't they." The A.I. said behind a hidden snicker.

"They do." He said then turned toward the cybernetic lynx. "Pretty quick thinking back there on your part as well. _Just socializing_." He said with a smirk.

"Ha, well am I wrong? You _have_ been socializing." She answered back.

"But not so much with the 'rest of them' as you put it." He leaned closer toward her with that same grin. Nicole moved slowly in as well, bracing herself for what was to come next – one of her favorite corporeal experiences. But she sensed something and backed away. "Wha–?" But Nicole was quick to explain.

"Someone's coming. I should go." She was already beginning to dissolve into her signature green pixels.

"That won't be necessary Nicole." A voice sounded off. Nicole froze before completely disappearing, leaving quite a comedic sight of the upper half of her disembodied self still floating in mid air.

"McCoy." Espio said pretty stagnantly.

"Do not mind my intrusion. Any secrets you wish to keep are safe with me; from one spy to another." The man stated as ominous as ever.

"M-Mr. McCoy! I- I didn't know you were in Acorn. Do you want me to retrieve King Elias for you?" Nicole stammered and fumbled around her words what with the awkward situation she was placed in.

"No thank you dear Nicole. I actually came here to speak with Espio."

"Me?" The chameleon was taken by abrupt surprise. "Why do you need to see me? And how'd you know I was here?"

McCoy let out a light chuckle. "My fellow comrade. I think you forget my background. I do assume you know it very well. And it seems you may have lost some of your skills in your many years stationed here on this side of Mobius." Espio remained in silence. "But alas, I guess I never have formally thanked you for saving my life those months back in Soleanna."

"H-how'd you know of that?" Nicole asked as in the time since McCoy first showed up, she brought the rest of her body back into appearance.

"Oh I know a great deal, which is why I wish to speak with Espio. I would like to talk about your first hand experiences with Hook's son on the rooftops that day. I would like to know any information you picked up." He explained.

"Wait! The assassin is Hook's son?!" Nicole shouted in astonishment.

"In a matter of fact, he is. A little twisted which is a shame but it is true. Now if you'll excuse me, my disappearance in the middle of a massive breach of U.F. homeland security may become a questioning matter if I do not return quickly. I would like you to meet me in my office tonight around 2000." McCoy slipped Espio a small business card. "You shouldn't have any trouble getting up there." He then turned and casually began to walk away.

Espio stood in prudence watching him as he left while Nicole seemed to be a little more shaken up by the encounter. "How did he–"

"Don't worry about anything Nicole. He is a man of secrets and whether he puts forth the effort to or not, he will appear near omnipotent at times. I know the type."

The AI was silent for a moment before speaking her mind again. "Are you going to go see him?"

"Yes."

"But what could he possibly benefit from anything you have to tell him? Everything you picked up during the First Soleanna Convention was either disclosed to Elias or picked up by the media and secret services." It was apparent she was concerned for McCoy was very well quite the mysterious man.

"I don't know. But there was something else." It seemed Espio already knew what but he would keep that to himself. 'It seems he wants to tell me something more than me tell him something.' He thought to himself.

"Well…" She cusped the elbow of one of her artificial arms in the palm of the other hand, depicting quite a nervous body language. "Just be careful okay?"

Espio turned and placed a hand on the lynx's shoulder, rubbing his thumb on it gently. "Don't worry." He smiled. "I will."


	24. Sea Date

**Author's Note:**

Damn! It's been one year since I started this project! Sorry to keep everyone waiting but all my thanks goes to you for sticking it out and keeping with it. Hopefully I can finish this story in a reasonable amount of time but we'll see.

Moved this chapter around a bit but with how hectic the chronology of the story is right now it fit best here; and thus ends one subplot. Don't have much else to say so I'll just let you get on with it I guess

Read, Review, and Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 24: Sea Date

Fires. She could feel heat reverberate from the twisted metal that surrounded her. The cackling of the flames was loud enough to drown out the groans of her band mates as they too lie in a tangle mess of debris. She was bruised but not injured. Every move she made, though, ached as she tried to piece together what had happened: Airplane... Airplane taking off... The thought of running down the runway… Crashing…

She opened her eyes to see a blurred image of red and orange and black. "It'll be alright." She heard someone say to her.

Though she had never heard the voice before, and knew it was not owned by who she thought it was (most likely a rescue worker), she only thought of one person. "Tails?"

She tried to remember what happened next but all she could recall was standing outside the wreckage of her band's private jet. Mina Max and Mach stood there wrapped in their foil emergency blankets, as Sharps was getting medical attention with a broken leg, staring at the crashed plane off in the distance while rescue workers and firemen tended to their jobs. They were lucky. The plane was not even a few tens of feet off the ground before it lost control. Everyone, including the pilots, survived. Unfortunately not everyone who decided to fly that day was so lucky. And Mina couldn't get that thought out of her head.

She knew she wasn't the strongest when it came to fear or mental affliction, proof in that was in her scare with her close friend Nicole many years back. But going through a traumatic event as she had in the plane crash can really put a damper on the way life is perceived.

All these memories faded away however as she lied curled up in her bed, straddling a spare pillow to substitute a being of comfort. Her eyes slowly creaked open to the late morning light that slightly penetrated the still dark room as blinds effectively covered the windows to Amy's guest bedroom. The crash was a few days ago but she still felt battered and her muscles still ached with bruises. Even with the replay going on in her sleep, she still woke up thinking about only one thing…

*o*

The Freedom Fighters were off on another mission. The instability of the world at the moment has reached the borders of Acorn, but the crew lacked one of their teammates this time.

The two-tailed fox was walking back idly to his workshop. He found a rock on the path and started kicking it. Walking back up to it, and kicking it again further down the trail. Though he completely understood, he was still a bit upset – being rejected from partaking in a mission. He moved his fingers into the little divot in his side and rubbed it again feeling the texture of the scar tissue that was still pretty sensitive underneath his fur. He came up to the rock and kicked it once more.

He never really grasped the magnitude of the shot he took back at the third facility but the doctors said it was from a high caliber artillery case. They let him remove the bandages the other day but it wasn't their orders that kept him from going along with the other Freedom Fighters. It was Sonic's.

He played back the scene that occurred maybe even a few minutes ago. They were just about to head out when Sonic pulled him aside. "Look, I don't want you to take this the wrong way but I don't want you to come out on this one." His ears were fallen back and his eyes attempted to avoid direct contact with the fox's.

"Why?" It was just a reasonable response.

"I know the doctors said you're fine but…we all got really scared last time when you took that hit. I just want to make sure you're all good before you go out in the fray again… I don't want to lose my only bro."

He thought about going onto some rant about how he's not a kid anymore but he knew that wasn't the case; he hasn't been a kid in his friends' eyes since he was 11. In hindsight, he was glad he didn't pull that card in rebuttal.

The fox didn't feel any resentment toward the blue hedgehog; he knew he was just concerned for him. And in all honesty, he probably would have made the same call. But he digressed, dismissing the issue and made his way back to his workshop to waste away time while his friends were out on their adventure.

…

Tails had been working on the upgraded Sea Fox for many months now and it was starting to show. He did not have the turbine completed yet but the actual submergible vehicle was completely done and was ready for testing. It would take more time to bring the turbine engine up to the speed he was hoping for but for now he at least could use the old turbines for the underwater field testing. He was standing inside the main compartment – one much bigger than the previous version of the Sea Fox (this one was large enough for a pilot and co-pilot seats as well as enough walking, standing, and cargo room to transport a few other people if need be). He was making final diagnostics on the marine systems when he heard the phone ring.

In slight frustration, Tails dropped the tools he was handling at the moment and let out a heavy sigh. "Of course… right as I'm almost done." He climbed up the small ladder that was in the center of the main compartment, acting as the only access to the interior of the Sea Fox, and hopped down from the top of the outside of the vehicle to the floor of his workshop making his way steadily toward the buzzing phone.

"Hello?" He answered casually but got no response on the other end. "Not this again…" He murmured softly but with the handset close so the perpetrator for the unresponsive calls could hear from the other end. But suddenly the short silence broke as he heard a petite and soft familiar voice.

"Hey… Tails?"

"Oh. Hi Mina." She seemed really bothered but Tails just continued. "Sorry, I thought you were someone else." He just didn't want to sound rude.

"It's fine. Wait, you're not with the rest of the Freedom Fighters?" She asked, knowing they had a mission as she was left in Amy's house alone.

"They felt I should sit this one out given my recent injury." He answered a bit solemnly. "Hold on, if you thought I was gone on the mission, why'd you call?"

Mina froze. She tried to come up with a good explanation but couldn't think of one. Truth is, she wasn't even quite sure herself, other than she was thinking about him. "Look, I was, uh, wondering if I could come over."

It was kind of abrupt but he has seen Mina more as a closer friend now more than before so he didn't mind at all. "Yeah, of course." But he felt like he had to ask, "Ar-are you alright?"

"Yeah," She took a short pause. "I'm fine. I think I'm still a bit shaken up from the plane crash." She conjured up the statement, partially as an excuse and partially as truth.

"Oh shit, yeah. I bet. Well I've got the whole day free so come on over!"

His enthusiasm did its job as Mina felt a bit less uneasy. "Ok, great!" She let out a subtle smile on the other end of the phone line. "I'll be right over." She concluded as she hung up the phone. She was still in Amy's guest room, sitting on the side of her bed. She could feel the vacant house seemingly encasing her; the still closed bedroom window blinds didn't help with the ambience. She had her hands rested on the phone that lie in her lap as she left out a heavy sigh. "Girl, what is going on with you…" She whispered to herself. But she was only trying to fool herself – she knew what was going on.

It wasn't much longer when Mina showed up at Tails' workshop. The fox welcomed her in and offered her something to drink which she gratefully accepted simply a soda. She sat on one of the work stools as Tails pulled up another one. "So what's up?"

"Oh, nothing much." She shyly responded.

"Oh come on. You called me up even when you thought I was gone, you're down in some funk, you're still a bit weird from the plane crash and you say 'nothing much'?" Tails gave her a taunting grin as he leaned back on the counter behind him and took a sip from his drink.

Somehow Mina knew she wasn't going to take the 'I'm fine, let's not talk about me' route. And that's partly why she wanted to see him. "Hmph. Guess I didn't play that one well." She let out a light smile. "It's just me and The Knots got out safely with nothing more than Sharp's broken leg and all those other people–" She began to trail off.

"You can't blame yourself for that Mina, Hook is the monster behind it. Besides, it was all a matter of chance. Queen Megan and Alexis were about to take flight too and they got out. Nicole was able to save hundreds of lives and the few planes that did go down only had minimum casualties." Tails explained.

She knew he was only trying to cheer her up but it bothered her that they could talk about death so easily and seemingly without much grief. Of course with Tails being a Freedom Fighter, he knew first hand that with war comes death. "Yeah, I thanked Nicole for that… But still, why us?"

"Well, I don't know. But what I do know is that there are friends that are happy you got out." He gave her a warm smile which caused her to blush a little. She turned her head and took a drink from her soda to try and hide it. 'There's this again.' She thought almost annoyed. She took another short pause to reorient herself before continuing the conversation.

"And I heard you played a big part in the whole ordeal too Mr. Freedom Fighter." It was now her turn to try and get the fox flustered – whether he tried or not for her, she was definitely cognitive of her attempt with him. "And to think that morning you were sleeping in a hospital gown."

The red she wanted to see didn't appear on Tails' cheeks but he let out a small snicker. "What can I say? No bullet is going to stop me."

"Apparently the others beg to differ." She teased.

"Oh, ouch." The fox joked back, taking another swig from his beverage.

"I'm only kidding." She continued to hold her smile. "Besides, I'm glad you're here. I need a friend."

"Well you always got me." He said without realizing what the phrase could be interpreted as. Mina turned to her drink again and tried feverishly to hide a small school-girl grin that was fighting its way to her lips.

A long silence ensured and Tails didn't want it to become awkward. "So I guess this means you're postponing your tour?"

"Yeah. Probably for the best too what with how crazy the world has been in the past months or so." She answered. "But who knows, once all is settled and through maybe we'll have a benefit concert here in Acorn to kick things off again."

"That'd be a good idea. I'm still waiting for that preview of some of your new songs by the way." The fox jeered.

"Oh Aurora…" She exclaimed with an adjoining rolling of her eyes.

"What, you get up on stage and sing in front of hundreds of fans but you can't get the guts to sing in front of me?"

That blasted redness was back on Mina's cheeks like a plague. It just couldn't seem to go away. "You…really want to hear something?"

Tails noticed her nervousness and felt the need to ease up on the teasing a bit. "I mean, only if you feel comfortable."

After a bit of consideration, she complied. "I guess I could give it ago." She repositioned herself a bit on her stool so she was facing Tails more and sitting up straighter. She wiggled slightly to get the small jitters out of her and her eyes were fixed upward as she mentally prepared herself for the one man audience. Her head started to bob slightly as the upbeat intro played to one of her songs in her head. Then she closed her eyes to focus on the song to give it the passion it deserves and opened up her muzzle to sing out the start of the vocals:

"_Too alone now, to talk about  
>this storm you're in, just ride it out<br>and feelings now, eyes hard to see  
>you're out fighting now, just come back to me!<em>"

Her voice picked up as the already upbeat jingle was echoing through Tails' workshop. He only sat in delight and astonishment as her voice turned into a bellow.

"_Out there, our hero's fighting!  
>This war, we will be winning!<br>Out there, my–"_

But suddenly she stopped and tried to mask her abrupt end with a fake cough. In all honesty she didn't want Tails to see what the song was truly about. Or _who_ it was about. But the message must have slipped the fox's mind. He was too caught up in the voice of the songoose in front of him. It had been years since he heard her voice without the stadium amplifiers or studio enhancements – mostly likely before she even signed a record label – and to put it simply, he was blown away.

"Why'd you stop!" He asked sounding a bit too eager than expected.

Mina answered still pretty bashful about it. "I don't know, it's easier to sing in front of a bunch of strangers than knowing only one person is listening in…"

"Don't be embarrassed, that was beautiful! Every time you open your mouth I never expect such a beautiful voice to come from such a punk rocker." He smiled slightly causing her to smile in return.

"Aww, thanks." She was able to play it off like gratitude rather than flirtatious thanks.

"Now I really can't wait for the tour. I want to hear the instrumentals now too." Tails continued to compliment.

"In due time." She responded trying to cover up her coy and timid state of mind by showing what little bit of confidence she had left in her at the moment. But it was enough of her, she came to talk to him as well. She quickly scanned the workshop and picked out the most obvious of projects. "So how's the Sea Fox going?"

Tails turned his head to the large submarine-vehicle resting in the center of the large room. "Just about done actually. Well, I still haven't gotten the prototyped supersonic turbines up to where I want them but I got most of the stuff finished with the main chamber before you came. I have a few diagnostics to run with the control interface then it would be ready for testing." The fox stood up from the chair partly in enthusiasm for the pride he took in his work. "Want to take a look inside?"

Mina's face lit up slightly and her ears perked. "Sure! That'll be cool." She stood up too and followed her friend to the ladder leaning on the vehicle which led to the entrance on top. Once inside she continued to look around and gazed upon this little mechanic's 'project.' It already had somewhat of a blue tint to it and it wasn't even placed in any water yet. The large glass window was like an optical panorama; she could only imagine what the view would be if it was underwater. "Tails, this is…Amazing!"

"Oh come on, I haven't even shown you anything yet." He toyed back.

"But still, how can just someone like you make something like this?" She asked as her eyes still gazed around the capsule-like submersible construct.

Tails let out a light huff. "Heh, well how can someone like you make such beautiful music?" He moved down to one of the control panels and plugged some wires into a testing apparatus.

Mina was a bit glad the two-tailed fox had his attention elsewhere for he would then see how much she was blushing at the moment. But then again, it caused another thought to enter her mind. Sure he's been there time and time again since the break up with Ash and she knew he cared for her but those feelings she had for him, the same ones she has been in denial about, did he have the same suppressed feelings? Or was she traveling down a one-way street? Her ears slumped back as the thought continued to process. Who was she, kidding? He hasn't shown anything _like that_ toward her. He's just being a good friend.

"Well, it looks like everything checks out." The orange fox crawled out from under a panel and dusted off his hands. When he turned back to his guest though, he noticed her droopy expression as she snapped back into reality with a 'huh?' "You alright Mina?" He questioned.

"Oh. Yeah, I was just… thinking." She said whilst scratching her arm out of nervous reaction.

"Uh huh." He said, crossing his arms in slight defiance to her response. "In the time since we starting hanging out, I've found out you either need to change the way you 'think' or stop 'thinking' at all." He gave her a smile that both comforted her and told her she wasn't going to back out of this one either.

"Are you normally that good at reading people?" She said quite shyly.

"Heh, normally no." Tails said as he stepped closer to her. "Guess there's something about you then."

Mina couldn't look him in the eyes after that. 'He needs to stop saying things like that if he doesn't have a thing for me.' She thought to herself.

"Come on, I know what will cheer you up." Tails said as he stepped around Mina and began climbing the ladder out of the Sea Fox.

"What?" She called up to him just before he left the capsule.

"We're going for a test ride." He smiled back to her then climbed out the roof.

"A test ride?" She said slightly louder than she thought she was going to.

"Yeah!" Tails shouted from outside the Sea Fox. "You want to climb out of there and give me a hand?"

Mina gave a small giggle. "Sure."

Not shortly after, the two were messing with the transporting crane that would hoist the Sea Fox out of Tails' workshop and into the lake nearby. Tails had Mina go over by the mechanism controls while he secured the holds. He was on the other side of the Sea Fox leaning over one of the outgoing panels making sure everything was in line when he called out to her and commanded. "Ok when I say, I'll need you to flick the lever to get the crane moving."

"When you say, what?" She called back, thinking she misheard him.

"I don't know, go?" Tails answered thinking she was asking for some kind of signal or keyword for her to do her task. The miscommunication was already headed down a bad path.

"Go?"

"No." He answered back. "Not just yet–" But it didn't matter because the gears were already moving. She had flicked the lever thinking he told her to get it going and the Sea Fox began to rise up off the workshop floor. The panel Tails was hovering over rose up and smacked him on the chin. "OHW!" He shouted and fell right on his back into a few boxes he had stacked.

"Oh Tails!" The mongoose called back, flipped back the lever and ran over to him. When she stood over her friend however, her expression suddenly changed from concern to one of bad attempt at concealing her laughter. Tails had fallen back into boxes of decal paint and how his orange and white fur was plastered with blue and yellow dye. Luckily nothing got on his red scarf or goggles he normally has placed up on his head.

Mina continued to laugh at the sight. "I'm so sorry!" She said between hysteric chuckles.

"Oh ha ha." He said as he slowly began to get up, grinning slightly. "You're a mean woman you know that right?" The grin expanded as he joked with her.

"I thought you said–" But she was cut off as blue paint was slung and splattered on her face. She froze in surprise and confusion until the laughter was now emulating from the person in front of her.

"Ahaha, that's revenge!"

Mina scrunched her face and sneered. "_Revenge?"_

Tails let out a few more laughs. "Well yeah. Unless you want me to sock you in the face too." He said while rubbing his chin.

"Oh I'll show you for revenge!" She said with a hefty smile and pushed him back into the pile of boxes. But her teasing aggression somewhat back fired as Tails grabbed Mina's hand and pulled her down with him. Paint flew everywhere. But in the midst of the quick tussle, Mina landed on top of Tails with their faces real close. A stroke of pride burst in Mina as she could see firsthand Tails being the one who was blushing madly now. But with the perfect moment-killer timing, a small cup of paint ended its short suspension and fell straight on top of Tails' head.

"Oh that's it!" He shouted which caused Mina to jump up off him in premonition of what was to come next. Tails squirmed up from the pile he was pushed onto with a handful of red dye.

"AHH!" Mina playfully screamed as she took off toward the other side of the workshop, whilst dodging Tails' paint.

As the two ran around the workshop, their laughs and shouts filled the air. They were pretty careful not to throw any of the paint in case it got on something it shouldn't but their chasing and who was chasing who was often varied on whether one of them caught up to the other and successfully smeared some paint on their opponent. Running and chasing, laughing and screaming, the two continued their small paint war until it was getting difficult for them to pick out their original fur colors.

The two stopped their running around and came to a standoff over a large crate. Mina on one end with some green paint in her hand and Tails on the other with some blue. They were both breathing heavily through menacing grins. "Alright." Tails huffed. "How about a truce?"

Mina let out a small chuckle. "Oh hoh, not wanting to lose fox boy?"

He laughed back. "No. I don't want _you_ to lose."

The mongoose let out a sincere laugh. "Alright, we can end it." She said lowering her paint armed hand. Tails then did the same. "Still had plans to give that thing a test drive?" She asked as she turned to see the Sea Fox slightly lifted in the air from earlier.

"It's up to you." Tails answered. He looked over and saw her flick some paint off her shoulder. "I have a shop shower if you want to use it."

"That'd be good, thanks." She said and the two moved toward one of the back rooms of the shop to get cleaned up. Mina changed out of her paint covered clothes and gave them to Tails to wash. She offered to go on with the test ride without them (*This is referring to the fact that both guys AND girls in the Sonic/Archie Sonic Universe don't necessarily need clothes. ie Sally, Hershey*), but Tails figured by the time they finished prepping the Sea Fox her clothes would be done and dried anyway.

…

"Well, that should do it." Tails said as he popped out of the top hatch of the Sea Fox. It sat floating in the lake next to his shop while Mina stood on the bank waiting for him.

"Great!" She called up. Tails leapt up and stood on the top of the submarine and extended a hand to help her aboard. She took his hand and moved over, giving the fox a cute smile all the while. Tails got a little sterner in his posture as he had just noticed something. 'Was her smile always that beautiful?'

He followed Mina down the ladder into the Sea Fox. But the mongoose was frozen. The Sea Fox wasn't nearly half underwater but the large glass window already held a beautiful sight. Half of it was still above water and had the sun rays dancing from bouncing off the water and the other half showed the onsets of a whole new world underneath the lake surface. "It's gorgeous." She stated in pure mystification.

Tails let out a light huff. "And just you wait." He said softly as he came up behind Mina, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You haven't seen anything yet." He moved away and sat down in one of the pilot seats. He signaled Mina to take a seat as well and she soon followed.

The fox flicked a few switches and turned some knobs. "We are all set for launch."

He tilted his head over and gave Mina a warm smile. She smiled back. "_Test_ launch." She jeered. "Just don't sink this ship, alright?"

He turned back to his dealings with the same smile. "Yes ma'am." He said as he pushed a lever. They felt a jerk, then the ship began to delve deeper into the waters. Instantly they were transported to a whole new world. The light from the surface glimmered in the crystal clear waters. The lake at that point wasn't too deep but deep enough to submerge the Sea Fox. The lakebed was smooth with fine white sand yet in a few spots, large boulders protruded from the floor.

There were fish of all colors, shapes, and sizes. Mina slowly stood up and stood in front of the large window. She gently placed her hands on it as if trying to move through the glass barrier to get closer to the sight. Her mouth was slightly ajar from awe. Tails saw her complete bewilderment and notices she looked kind of cute when she was awestruck. "Having fun Mina?"

"Oh Aurora… Tails!" She swiveled her head and Tails could see the complete captivation on her face. He could only smile in return. "This is wonderful!" One would not suspect from the surface of the lake, but the water world below was one filled with magnificence and color. As the Sea Fox began to move from the lake and into the deep river that led a short way down into the salt water of the bay nearby, small bits of coral and sponge could be seen sprouting in secluded locations on the bed floor. They moved slowly through the water for it was _still_ a test run and Tails didn't want to overexert anything.

Mina was again starring endlessly into the blue as her hands still were pressed up on the window. Tails couldn't help but grin as her tail was wagging wildly from left to right. 'How the hell could Ash cheat on someone so sweet?' He thought.

A while later, they continued to move further toward the saltwater of the bay and the scene continued to escalade. Tails knew of a reef that was nearby and figured that would be the ideal thing to show Mina. She had been through a lot in recent times and he had only hoped this would be a good pick me up for her.

The serene spectacle of their undersea journey mixed with the aquatic ambience was making Tails' mind wander. As his eyes moved from the scene in front of him over to Mina and back, he realized he was in fact quite happy that Mina had called him up today. Yeah he was bummed about being left behind but after spending so much time with her in the past few months, more than he normally does by at least tenfold, he has thoroughly come to enjoy her company. He never seems to have a bad time with her and she always seems so much happier when she is around him.

Deeper and deeper into the bay they went and they came across the reef Tails had in mind as a destination. He set the Sea Fox to autopilot and got up from the Captain's Chair. He approached Mina and came up from behind her. "What did I tell you?" He smiled. "I knew this would cheer you–" But he stopped as he noticed a sniffle coming from Mina. He looked at her face and saw her eyes were cringed shut. "Mina? Are you alright?"

"Tails… I need to say something."

Tails was confused. All that glee, all the happiness that she was radiating just now – gone. He felt weird seeing her like this. Where was the joy? He liked that. But his thoughts had to stop. "Anything. You can tell me anything." He hesitantly placed a hand on her back and began rubbing it up and down.

"I haven't been the same recently." She said as she slowly turned to face Tails but her head was looking down instead of up at Tails' eyes.

"Well how so?" Mina tried to say what she was thinking but couldn't. She felt an odd dry fuzzy feeling in her throat; cottonmouth. She stepped back and moved to one of the bench like seats that was in the large main area behind the Captain's Chair. Tails slowly followed and sat next to her. "What's going on huh? Just a minute ago you were like a kid in a candy shop!" He said with a lighter tone, trying to boost her mood.

She gave a light smile but turned her head a little bit away. "Tails," She paused. "It's been hard for me to get over Ash… You've been with me a lot since then and have helped me tremendously." The fox didn't know where this was going so he just sat and continued to listen. "I don't know if this is me just trying to rebound or what but… Gosh, I probably sound like a blubbering idiot." She tried to give a quaint snicker but it didn't sound as authentic as she had hoped.

But despite the level of sincerity, Tails thought it was comical enough. "Oh come on. You'll only sound like that if you keep this up." He moved his hand back on her back. "Now what is on your mind?"

"I– I really like you." Her face was as red as Tails' handkerchief tied around his neck. "I tried to deny it but I can't. I've been thinking about you for a long time now. Even after the plane crash, I only thought about seeing you again. But it all happened too fast. I was with Ash for so long, all I could think about was him. Then we just broke off and– and then it was you all I could think about!" She buried her face in her hands. "I'm so confused. Do I fall for someone so easily?"

"Mina…" Tails said calmly, trying to interject but without success. She just continued.

"I mean, but you're one of my really good friends, now more than ever. Am I just mixing that up for something more?" It almost sounded like her muffled words were directed toward herself now.

"Mina." He said a bit more sternly.

Her head popped out of her cusped hands. "How do I know I'm not just chasing something just for some comfort? And if that's the case how do I know I won't ruin a good friendship?"

"Mina!" The two-tailed fox said with enough volume that Mina stopped her 'babbling' as she put it. She turned her head toward Tails and starred at him with near puppy-dog eyes lingering on whatever he may have to say. He let out a chuckle. "It's alright!"

"What?"

"It's alright. It's fine. Everything you're going through is perfectly normal. In fact, I'd be concerned if you didn't have all these doubts. And I'm not going to lie, I've thought about you more than I have in the past as well. Maybe not to the same extent," He awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "But we have gotten a lot closer in the past number of months." He then gently grabbed her face and held it in both hands. "I was afraid for you too when I was helping ground the planes that day. I was worried about how you'd be after you broke up with Ash because I felt the same way before." He said, starring right into her eyes without looking away.

He let the silence take over for a short moment as the two starred deep into each other's eyes. But finally, and a little hesitant, Tails slowly pulled her in for a kiss. It wasn't a long or lavish one but a sweet and gentle one. As he pulled way, Mina leaned forward more, trailing his head with hers, her closed eyes and chin up, begging for more. When she accepted that that was all she was going to get at the moment, she slowly opened her eyes and saw Tails with an adoring smile gleaming down at her.

"I've kind of felt a spark between us today more than before. Maybe it's been there the whole time and I have just overlooked it, I don't know." He turned and faced back toward the large window and looked back out at the beautiful underwater masterpiece that was before them. He moved his arm around Mina's shoulders and she leaned her head on his. "I may not feel about you to the extent that you feel about me… yet. But there is something there. That's for sure."

She sat quiet for a second to take in the moment. "So what does all this mean?" She asked as the two continued to gaze at the water world around them. The light still danced on every surface both in and outside the Sea Fox. The fish would swim up to the glass then flutter away an instant later. The coral and the reefs brought up a mix of color that was so vivid; it was hard to believe it was real. The sight was serene and magnificent.

"It means I think we have a good thing started here." He took one of Mina's hands in his free hand and gave her a quick peck on the top of her head. "Let's see where this goes." He then wrapped one of his tails around her backside as they continued to look out at the sea. They could look at that sight forever.

"That sounds absolutely wonderful _fox boy_."


	25. Running from a Trained Assassin

**Author's Note:**

Again, don't really have much to say. That will probably be the case for the next few chapters as they really speak for themselves - not like you care about the A/N anyway. It is the last stretch so hang on! And remember,

Read, Review, and Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 25: Running from a Trained Assassin

As Espio began walking through the main lobby of one of the U.F. intelligence buildings, he already was beginning to get a weird feeling about his 'meeting' with McCoy. "Hello?" He shouted out to the vacant building but only got his own words, reverberating from the empty walls, as a response. 'I don't like this.' He thought as he cautiously moved forward toward the elevators. 'Well he did say I wouldn't have any trouble getting up to his office.'

As he hit the appropriate button to the floor of McCoy's office and as the elevator doors were closing, something fell over him. He wasn't quite sure what but something was amiss about the whole situation. He looked up at the camera poised in the corner of the elevator's ceiling. The rhythmatic pulsing of the single red dot underneath the lens was like a watchful eye. Being of the secret type, cameras, and having to stand still in front of one for an extended period of time, made the chameleon feel even more uncomfortable. What was McCoy really doing requesting his presence? He was fully convinced he did not want any information Espio had from the day of the First Soleanna Convention. So what was he after? He somehow knew he was there; did he think he was with the enemy? No – he even thanked him for saving his life. All the questions he had were about to be answered anyway as the light ring of the floor counter sounded signifying that he had made it to the appointed level. The doors slowly slid open and he walked out.

The elevator was at the end of a hallway. Though there were different branches and offices to the side of the hallways, his destination was apparent by the door at the opposite end of the hallway as it was cracked open and a solid light emulated from behind it. He approached it slowly and gently pushed the door open as he came up to it. Inside he could see Mr. McCoy standing behind a beautiful cherry wood desk, staring out of the large window that lay across from the passage Espio had just entered through.

"Ah. Right on time." The mystery man turned around to face the Mobian in his presence. As he did, it was revealed he held a small glass of brandy in hand and casually took a sip at this time. He lowered the glass down from his lips and placed it gently on the desk corner.

"So you say you want me to give you some information but we both know that's not why you wanted me here." The purple chameleon stated pretty sternly.

"Still very keen I see. Very good." He slowly stepped around the desk and stopped in front of it, leaning back and using it as half a seat. "Before I continue, I must ask. How much do you trust me?" He said with a slight and nerve-racking sneer.

"In all honesty. Not much."

"Ah, not enough for you leave your knives and stars at home but enough to not have any component of that cybernetic lynx with you to document anything that may… go awry here tonight." Espio gave him a weird look. "Do not fret. I have seen stranger love. Besides, she is a wonderful person and a Mobian in nearly every sense but one. And for that is a shame for she deserves it well. I know that is why you two have kept it secret for so long but as I said earlier, your secret is safe with me." He let out a more sincere smile this time.

"Why is any of this necessary?" Espio squinted, getting all the more unsure about the situation.

"Well, you tell me. You have clearly realized it is for me to show my awareness of even the most discrete affairs you are involved in. But the motive? Is it to convince you I am a friend, or as a warning to not mess around with me." He let there be a small pause before continuing. "Either way it simply boils down to the fact that I do not wish you to take any aggressive action in our encounter." He leaned back a bit further and extended his arm, grabbed his glass of brandy and took another sip before setting it back down on the desk, this time a bit more in reach.

"Enough talk, let's get on with why I'm really here."

"Patience. I am actually waiting on one more visitor." McCoy then casually looked down at his watch. "Ah. And it seems only a few more minutes before he arrives. I guess we should take our places then."

'Places?' Espio thought but before he could do much more than think, he was grabbed on the shoulders by McCoy and slammed into the wall behind him. "What the–"

"Quiet." McCoy looked the Mobian straight in the eye with ferocity. "You will do exactly as I say otherwise all this will be for naught."

"Not very convincing." The chameleon pushed his back against the wall behind him, brought his legs in his chest, then kicked McCoy off of him. "Whose side are you on?!" But he froze. "Oh…" Suddenly Espio was looking down the barrel of a 45mm pistol.

"Like I said. You will do exactly as I say." McCoy was as solid as a rock. Espio knew there wasn't much choice so he slowly brought his hands up in the air. "Good." The man continued to look straight into Espio's eyes and didn't even blink. "At about your two o'clock there is a furnace heater. It's actually quite nice. I had it installed for this very occasion." The way he was practically monotone the entire time just threw off Espio even more. "You will move over to it and sit down in front of it. You may get a little hot but trust me, you won't mind. Now move."

Just at his request, Espio slowly sidestepped to the furnace. Once he was in front of it, he slowly lowered himself and sat down. He could already feel the heat radiating from the device and had to make sure he did not relax his tail enough for it to make contact with the hot surface.

"Now. For the sake of your own life, you will go invisible and you will stay invisible for the duration of this meeting. You will not move, you will not make a sound, and you will not reveal yourself under ANY circumstances. Understood?"

As Espio sat, still looking up to the gun pointed in his face, he could only sneer. "For how long."

"It will be apparent when you will be free to move. Like I said however, if you chose to disregard this warning of mine, you will most certainly die." Steady as a statue, McCoy stood in his stance for a few more seconds until he pulled back the pistol. "This is where I wish you would have said you trusted me a little more." Even though McCoy pulled back the gun, his face had not yet changed expressions. "Our _guest_ is almost here. You best go invisible now." And finally he stepped away. Even more, turned his back to Espio. He walked back up to his desk and turned off the lamp that was the sole source of the light in the room. He grabbed his brandy and took another sip. He placed the gun back on the desk and let out a heavy sigh.

At this time Espio took the man's advice and went invisible. It was dark and still now in the room. It gave a cold appearance but Espio was already feeling the heat building up from sitting so close to that damn furnace. But suddenly, he heard the small ring of the elevator down the hall. Who could possibly be coming to meet with McCoy as well? Only a few more seconds before it was revealed.

And behold, just as cautious as Espio had a couple minutes prior, the assassin Espio had met on the rooftops of Soleanna walked into the office. His head slowly turned and scanned the room, searching for something. The two red dots glanced over toward Espio and he froze. McCoy brought Espio so the assassin could do him it! Did he know he could see heat traces with those goggles of his? How could he. But just as quick as those red dots scanned over Espio, they were gone and back on McCoy. It was then the chameleon realized; the furnace and the light. His heat signature was melded with the immense heat coming from the furnace to the point of ambiguity and without any light there was practically no chance of his invisible outline being spotted even by the keenest eye. Now all he had to do was exactly what McCoy told him to do.

"You knew I was coming yet you decided not to bring anyone to help save yourself." The course voice of the assassin sounded as he stood staring at the man in front of him.

"Why put other lives in danger? This is between us is it not?" McCoy said taking the final sip of his brandy. He noticed this and casually got up to an end table which held the original bottle of the drink and poured himself another glass.

"I guess it is." The assassin stepped forward but quickly stopped as McCoy began speaking again.

"You know I'm not very surprised Team Dark ran into you earlier today." The man took a small sip of his drink once more.

"My father says you are very smart and are really good with puzzles. I guess that's why he originally had me try to kill you in Soleanna." He simply stated.

McCoy let out a light huff. "Well tell your father I am quite complimented for him to think I am so important that he needs to kill me." The assassin was standing there and didn't know how really to take it. "I guess that is why also you tried to take the data record from that ancient human bunker then. If I had access to that information I would _surely_ be able to crack the code and figure out what dastardly deeds was about to unfold at your father's hands."

"He knew you would eventually come to realize, with the little information the U.F. and the gross Mobian nations had obtained, that the answer may lie buried in that place. He sent me to destroy any kind of history recorded in that complex's database. It's a shame your Team Dark was able to make it out alive. They truly are G.U.N.'s best. But at least you did not retrieve the files stored at that place." The assassin's course voice rumbled in their conversation.

"Oh dear boy." McCoy gave a quick chuckle before bringing his drink back up to his lips. After a quick swig he lowered it again and continued. "But like you said, Team Dark is G.U.N.'s best and they principally do not like to fail when it comes to missions. Shadow in particular. In my years of service I have found no matter how good someone is at espionage, forgotten details always come back to haunt you. Shadow remembered the last time he was in that facility and recalled that Isaac had stored memories of the history between the Xorda attack on ancient Earth and the present day. Though he was destroyed, some of those memory files were kept intact. He was able to retrieve Isaac's memory bank and give them to me. I have studied them and they are quite interesting I might add. It seems either you or your father forgot about the rotting robot in the room you had your little clash in." The assassin stood silent for he too did not like to fail a mission and just came to realize he did just that. "Which, I warn you about Shadow. He has a very strong connection with an overland girl who is a relative of his creator. When you attacked G.U.N. today he nearly went berserk for fear that she was harmed. He is a very dangerous being when provoked."

"I do not care about some weak animal or any overlander that sympathizes with those creatures." The assassin angrily spat.

"My, you really have some fascinating hatred toward Mobians. I guess that is why you and Hook are planning to rid them of this world. That IS why you are planning to kill them all off right?" McCoy casually took another drink.

"You don't know what you are talking about."

The whole time Espio sat quietly observing the conversation. He was really starting to bake from the heat of the furnace but knew that comfort was not a luxury at this time; his life was. So he sat still, breathed quietly, and continued to listen.

"Oh but I know exactly what I am talking about." McCoy replied. "And the biggest tip off was not the files recovered from Isaac. That was just the confirmation. Tell me, how have your father's studies progressed without the sought out research behind Project Glass?" He inquired.

"Not being able to obtain the research behind Project Glass was a major setback. That echidna woman was strong in the fact that she never gave us any information toward it. It's unfortunate because if she had, my father would have finished his research much sooner. But it doesn't matter now. My father had to start from scratch with some regeneratives he had me steal from a cargo train a few months back."

McCoy didn't feel the necessity to mention that he knew already about the stolen regenerative materials. It may disrupt his plan for their conversation was for an audience and he didn't want anything to go wrong.

The assassin child continued to speak. "With those regeneratives and the studies done on old Eggman's robotocizers, he was able to get past that roadblock." He let out a small child-like laugh. "So delayed a little but my father's work is done none the less and we are ready to initiate our final plan within the next few days."

McCoy looked pretty disheartened by this fact. "It seems one of my plans did not work as I had wanted."

"What do you mean old man?"

"Well you see." He took a hefty gulp of his drink and threw his jaw to the side from the bite before continuing. "I really had hoped that by stealing the research behind Project Glass myself, your father would have been stopped and not just delayed. But I guess beggars can't be choosers."

"_You_ stole the Project Glass research? Impossible." He quickly dismissed it. "All our information pointed to Lien da."

"Which is what I planned. I did not plan for her to be captured at your hands but I am glad the Freedom Fighters got her out before you did her in. It's a good thing you thought she did have it otherwise you surely wouldn't have kept her alive, correct?"

The assassin was baffled. "I don't understand."

"Do you wish for me to explain?"

The assassin stood just as motionless as he had the entire encounter but this time in suspended thought. "Go on."

"I have known about Hook, your father, for quite some time now. Not personally but as a hobby of mine, I like to track threats – even minor ones – to make sure they do not turn into larger ones. It is hard for someone to just 'quit' their profession when retirement comes. So I had discovered your father had tried to take the research behind Project Glass once before. This must be before you had completed your training because you were not in the picture. But low and behold, he did not succeed. Did a very good job in covering it up though; it seems I am the only one that picked up his trail. Anyway, knowing how dangerous Project Glass could be in the wrong hands, I personally stole the research and destroyed it. Not long after Lien da went for it. I made it seem like she had stolen it which caused G.U.N. to come after her. Once we had her in our possession I would have intervened so that she would not be charged with the crimes of stealing Project Glass. We tracked her to Security Outpost 057 after an undercover agent of mine in Lien da's cartel party, Frankie, went MIA on a mission. It seems Lien da revealed you had killed him in when you took her captive."

If he was not wearing so much concealment, mask and goggles, the assassin would have quite a distressful expression for he was beginning to realize that him and Hook may not have been as 'under the radar' as they expected. But he did not let that show. "Very good. You are a good puzzle solver."

"I have solved many other puzzles if you are interested in hearing about them." He tried to keep the assassin engaged so that he would not complete his mission until everything was all explained, for Espio's case. "You don't have much friendly interaction do you. You can take a seat if you want. I'd offer you a drink but it seems you are too young for one."

"I prefer to stand." He coarsely proclaimed.

"If you wish." McCoy took another sip. "But I do have a few questions which though if you would be so kind as to answer some of them." Of course many of the questions he had in mind he already knew the answer to but that was not the point. There were still a few however he sincerely did not know.

"I think I can do that seeing as you are about to die."

McCoy let a small grin escape his face. "I appreciate it. First off, you have been tampering with U.F. infrastructure for quite some time. Much of it seemed a little unnecessary in regards to your intents."

"Most of it was to cover our trail. My father's research involved many intricate procedures and if at any point he was discovered, all would have been for nothing."

"I see. Then why the sudden bombing at Albion?"

"The Echidna Nation was not playing into our plan and was remaining neutral even after we had dispersed the notes to your nations' leaders."

"So the notes were intended to incite suspicion of your actions so that the countries could be brought forth about the matter. Is that why you have been subtly inciting civil uprising between Mobians and Overlanders?"

"Yes. If you know so much then you know it would be beneficial for there to be distrust and conflict between us and those mongrels when the bombs go off."

'Bombs?' Espio was taken back a bit. Why is it taking so slow for them to get to the point? He thought to himself. But there was nothing he could do but sit in anxiety waiting for him to finally come out of concealment.

"I will have to say," McCoy began. "I am impressed with your fathers intelligence as I feel it rivals my own. With all the unrest amongst the species, the populace would do have your work for you. And it was working too when the ERA took claims to your attack on G.U.N."

"My father was quite angry that the Chaotix had stopped the ERA but he is always prepared and has many contingencies."

"As I can tell. Was it a contingency when the Chaotix stumbled upon the Mercian facility and found the information that led to Security Outpost 057?" He quizzed

"It was a contingency we had planned for. If anyone would have gone to the facility they would have thought that that was where our stronghold was and hopefully would have been buried in rubble – never knowing about Security Outpost 057."

"Ah, but that was not the case was it." The assassin was getting flustered again but he still remained as still as a statue, a looming gargoyle that lurked in the darkness of the room. "So then you did not expect the Freedom Fighters or Team Dark at Security Outpost 057?"

"We did not expect the Freedom Fighters to come by. It seems when the Chaotix escaped the collapse of the Mercian facility, they managed to pick up some _extra_ information. But we knew G.U.N. had sent Team Dark in and we were monitoring their movements waiting to do them in as well. It seems the presence of the Freedom Fighters was a wild card that saved Team Dark that day. But that doesn't matter now since they'll die with the rest of those furballs."

"Remarkable. And from there, we stand now. Simply remarkable." McCoy marveled at the whole scheme. He may be against Hook's plot but he had to respect how well conceived it was. "One last thing, the shutdown of the reactor–"

The assassin was getting tired of this babbling so he finished McCoy's thought. "The fuel lines were shut down and a sample was diverted to us so my father could replicate the energy ring power. As you can imagine it takes a lot of power to conduct all the research my father has done."

"So everything was part of the plan. The shutdown, Mercia being a trap to keep Security Outpost 057 a secret. The 'notes' to bring forth the nations. Capturing Lien da in an attempt to get your hands on the research of Project Glass and using her to lure Team Dark to take them out. Using propaganda and hysteria to bring civil unrest between Mobians and Overlanders. Bombing Albion to get them involved in the whole affair and using psychological warfare to get the ERA to attack the U.F. Placing the satchel charges near the roboticizer in the third facility to make Acorn think they destroyed your biggest threat when it actuality wasn't even your plot to use the roboticizer past research. Tampering with U.F. infrastructure and destroying the fourth facility to further cover your tracks. And making open attacks on the largest nations of the world to bury them in the clouds of war and destruction… Brilliant." He had to make sure that the third party in the room would understand everything as he had.

"You are very smart. But I think your intelligence rivals my father's instead of the other way around like you previously said."

"Yet that is why you tried to kill me off. That's why you tried to stop me from getting the information from the ancient human complex. So that I wouldn't find out about any of this. So that I wouldn't connect the dots of your grand plan. This _Research Affair_. All the information of ancient Earth and the Xorda attacks, the studies in genetics and regeneratives, the study of roboticizing and legionizing and how it alters anatomy and DNA, you and your father's twisted hatred toward Mobians and your belief in Overlander superiority. All this to rid the planet of Mobians. The summit of your father's plan: a reverse Gene Bomb."

If he was not invisible, Espio's eyes would have attracted moths, they were so big and bright. How could he not see it before? How could anyone not see it before! Despite being placed so close to the furnace for so long, he started to get immense chills. Fear struck him like no other. The legendary Days of Fury, brought by the destruction of an alien species that tried to kill off the planet twice now. The Gene Bomb: A weapon of mass destruction beyond anyone's imagination, used to completely eradicate human life, and human life alone, on ancient Earth now being turned toward Mobians – to kill off Mobian life, and Mobian life alone. Espio felt his heart beating so fast, he was fearful that the rapid thumping would give his position away.

"Congratulations. But it doesn't do you any good now does it? Now that you are on the verge of death. It's a shame no one else will know." He said unsuspectingly.

"It is a shame indeed." McCoy dropped to near depression, playing his part well as the assassin couldn't tell McCoy's plight for a doomed race was a ruse. "I would try to reason with you and your father at this time but I do not see that that would do any good."

"No. It won't."

"Well." He took one more sip of his brandy, leaving only a little bit left as he swirled it around in his hand. "I will say this. I can tell you have been robbed of your innocence. You were born and bred to be the assassin you are today do that your father could use you for his plans. But your lack of social interaction is something you are not aware of and you are fascinated by talk, I can tell." The assassin still remained motionless as everything McCoy was saying was in fact true. "You're smart. Very smart for your age and have amazing skill. But like you said to Shadow when you encountered him at that complex, you hardly get face time and conversing with your targets isn't healthy. That is your weakness."

For the first time since he arrived, the assassin moved. Slightly budging forward but catching himself. It was hard to tell why when you can't see any expression but he was angry. "I have no weakness."

"Yes you do. We all have weaknesses. When you talk to your targets, you feel something. It gets personal. Trust me, I know. Many times I've had to kill and talking makes it harder, even if only slightly. See, even in your past encounters – your few failures have occurred because of some kind of interaction right? When you converse," He brought his drink back up to his mouth and kicked back his head, downing the rest of the substance. "It cuts into that 'instinct' of yours."

Just then, the assassin lunged forward with speed so swift no one could possibly react to and sliced McCoy's throat with a blade hidden in each of his sleeves. He flipped back as McCoy's limp body slowly let physics take over and slumped down off his desk until falling to the floor. The glass he held in his hand slipped out and shattered as it hit the floor. Blood was running down his neck like a river and his eyes were blank and cold. He was gone.

Espio began to silently panic. 'you will not reveal yourself under any circumstances' he remembered McCoy saying just a few minutes prior. 'It will be apparent when you will be free to move.' But it was getting harder and harder to concentrate. The shock of the reverse Gene Bombs and Hook's plot to kill off the Mobians, now witnessing the slaughter of McCoy right in front of his eyes – it was a lot to take in. But he had to stay calm. He had to stay hidden otherwise not only would he be killed by the assassin as well but all of McCoy's efforts to secretly reveal Hook's plot to him would be for naught and Hook's revealed plan dies in that room. Even as he felt the blood from McCoy's neck as it pooled near Espios legs, He. Had. To. Stay. Calm.

"Foolish man." The assassin said as he turned to leave the room. "Three days before commencement is a little late for your revelation." He chuckled and slowly left the room.

Espio still did not move until he heard the doors close in the elevator. When he did, he jumped up in anxiety. He cared not to concentrate on his camouflage anymore as quivers were taking over his body. "G-gene B-b-bombs." He said in complete distress. He moved away from the furnace but only got colder as the chills that were ensnaring him were tremendous. He looked over at McCoys lifeless body with his head barely clinging to his shoulders as only a few strings and tendons were left to keep it attach. He felt his stomach twist and he regurgitated from the apprehension of the entire situation. He could feel some of McCoy's blood still clinging to his leg and once he let it all out and stopped vomiting, he grabbed a nearby garb to wipe it off.

His breathes were still heavy and his heart rate was so rapid he felt like it would burst. He was dizzy and lightheaded but he could feel himself coming down from the shock from the combination of the revelation and magnitude of Hook's plan and the horrid sight of McCoy's throat getting slit. He knew he had to get out of there and tell the world what kinds of terrors are upon them. 'Three days' he heard the assassin say in his head. "That's not a lot of time."


	26. A Call to Arms

**Author's Note:**

This is the last chapter before the big finale. Sorry it has been a while. Been real busy and even toward the end of my Spring Break (I've been working all break) is when I find time to get this done. Anyway, the next part will be a three part series of the big finale. It will span over three chapters with the epic conclusion.

Read, Review, and Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 26: A Call to Arms

"-Control!"

A green flash quickly illuminated a dark and destroyed room for a brief moment before the light receded back into nothingness. Shadow looked around. He could hear creeks and cracks from the twisted metal around him and the floor was not of the porcelain tile he remembered, instead it was rocky and uneven as concrete and rock was scattered around. He recognized this room. It was the eastern lounge. The couch he remembered sitting on not even a day prior now lay crushed under a large chuck of ceiling and was highly saturated as water from the level above, flowing from what was likely broken plumbing, was pouring on it continuously.

He stepped around and took in the destruction. With the exception of the natural sounds of the devastation that had occurred, it was totally silent. No voices, no movement, and no signs of life. There was only a little light coming from the large hole in the ceiling. This wasn't even near the top level so that hole must have been punctured pretty deep from the very top of the structure. He moved on though. There wasn't anything left of that room.

He was in search of someone. There weren't a whole lot of people Shadow cared for. There was his team of course, Tower for the most part, and occasionally Sonic and his gang. But one person he cared a tremendous amount for, though he never liked to show it, was Hope. For obvious reasons; she reminded him of Maria. It only added to the fact that she was her relative.

Shadow swore to himself that he would not ever let Hope succumb to the same fate as Maria did. That he would protect her with all costs. Quickly he was reminded of this and bolted over to the next room on his journey to the main rooms of the facility – the most likely place she could be found.

He kicked on his booster shoes and dashed through the destroyed hallways not caring about the dust, water, and debris that were continuously pestering him as he swiftly moved by. Mumbling to himself, "Hook if she is dead, you'll be next!" as he continued down, he was feeling his rage heighten.

As he moved, he still couldn't hear anything but the ominous sounds of destruction that surrounded him. All he needed was a voice to point him in the right direction but he didn't have that luxury. He came to the end of the hallway he was traversing through and the entrance to the next room was blocked by a bunch of rubble. "Damn it! I don't need this right now!" The whole circumstance of everything was really getting to him. "Chaos Spear!" He shouted and threw his dart of pure chaos energy right at the pile, busting a hole right through it. The rest of the pile crumbled and the entrance presented itself. Huffing with each step, he moved through and into the next room.

But what he saw, again, was nothing but destruction. This next room was unrecognizable. He actually couldn't even remember what it was and by the looks of it, there wasn't any hint to remind him. A hole in a neighboring wall connected this room with the next as more debris was scattered around. Computers and telemonitors lay smashed on the floor, desks were tossed from one side of the room to the next, and steel and concrete were in places they shouldn't be.

"This is useless!" Shadow shouted in pure rage. He had covered two rooms and a hallway in the massive underground complex that was G.U.N. HQ. There was a lot left to go. The place spanned for another hundred feet or so down underground. The lower levers were surely more destroyed than the one he was on. "HOPE!" He screamed trying to reach her. But he knew the chances of him finding her in this large building were improbable. It was more likely she was buried, crushed underneath some pile of rubble. He didn't like this fact and got even angrier when thinking about. "I could have saved her." He mumbled then busted into the next room.

He knew this room now. It was the main COMM room meaning the previous room was the system stacks…or was it data mainframe 2? His head was getting clouded as he wasn't thinking straight. He didn't care about what room it was really, he was just focused on finding that one person. "Hope! Where are you?" He cried out. He bent down and flipped over a large concrete slab. "I swear to Aurora Hook…" He mumbled as he searched.

He quickly concluded she wasn't around here. He suppressed the fact that he was going in this blind. There were so many piles of rubble and even more rooms that would be unreachable in all the destruction. It was likely he would never find her. 'Think Shadow. Think.' He closed his eyes and thought as he took a deep breath to clear his head. 'Where would she have been at the time of the attack.' Team Dark was near the ancient human complex around mid day. Anput, the helicopter pilot, said that she was trying to get in touch with them for a while when they were in there and they weren't in the complex long. So it might have been either around her lunch break or soon thereafter. He recalled the numerous conversations he had with her; she liked to sync her routine with convenience and efficiency as she liked to do the processing of the systems integration around lunchtime since it was closest to the main cafeteria.

Shadow's eyes opened with epiphany. And just like that he was off toward the main cafeteria. He thought of using Chaos Control but he got lucky the first time. The arrangement of HQ was so estrange and twisted now because of the ruin, he could easily wind up with a limb or even his whole body, intertwined with some piece of debris. He had to travel the old fashioned way.

Room after room, he blasted through the complex – or what was left of it. More than often he had to stop and bust open a path for him to keep moving, which only tested his patience. He was getting livid. "I'm not going to let you die, Hope." He would remind himself.

After merely an hour of maneuvering, he came across the cafeteria. He spin dashed through some thin debris and landed right in the middle of the room. His angry huffs were almost loud enough to overcome the sounds of the creeks and cracks of the still collapsing structure. "Hope!" He shouted but got nothing in return. "HOPE!" He shouted again.

He moved around and scouted the room out. This one wasn't as destroyed as the others. Of course there were still holes in the ceiling, holes in the walls and floors but for the most part it was still standing. Tables and carts were busted and broken under fallen rock but there was much more open space here than in previous rooms Shadow passed through. "Hope! Where are you?!" He called out. "Damn it!" He shouted and punched a hole in a nearby wall, causing a large scrape in his glove where blood from underneath was already seeping through from the hard hit. "I'm not letting you die too!" He mumbled as a tear formed in the pit of his eye.

He busted through to the system integration lab where she could also be. "Hope!" He called out but silence was his only audience. "Damn it Hook! I SWEAR if you killed her I will rip your head right off your shoulders!" He screamed out. He felt a dark rage come over him as he was about to just thrash around when he heard a voice off in the distance.

"I think he's over here!" But it wasn't the chipper young voice of an overlander that he was seeking so feverously. It was Rouge.

She came into the door way of the integrations lab to see Shadow down on his knees, still huffing like he just ran a marathon. "Shadow…" She sounded in sympathy.

"I– I can't find her Rouge." The anger was almost gone from his voice as all what seemed to remain was despair.

"Oh baby." She said calmly as she moved toward him and embraced him from behind. "It's alright." She whispered into his ear. "They have her outside. She's alright." At this Shadow's ears twitched and perked, but that was about all the expression he was willing to show at the time. "Come on. Get up and let's get out of here before this places falls on top of our heads."

Rouge helped Shadow up to his feet. Before Shadow turned to face her however, he wiped away the small beads of tears from his eyes. He was never really one to show his emotions. "You don't have to hide from me Shadow." She said just as calmly as before and gently took his hand into hers. He gave her a little squeeze; about the only sign of affection he was willing to show in this short time of emotional weakness for him. "It's alright to show when you care you know." The bat scoffed as she was beginning to let her usual personality return as well. "I know you care about some people. And when you do, you show it in your own way. Like when you screwed us over slipping that information to little Miss Amy Rose way back when this all started." She jeered.

"There are a few people I care about." He finally turned to her with a grin. "Just a few." He leaned in and gave Rouge a quick peck on the forehead. "Let's get moving. Like you said, this place could collapse any moment. Where is Omega?"

"He's waiting back in the cafeteria. I told him to wait there seeing as he couldn't fit through the small holes to get to this place. And any 'engineering' on his part to make a bigger door may just be what this place needs for structural failure." She smiled as the two went out to join their robot friend.

"Shadow is done with his lamenting?" Omega asked as Shadow and Rouge entered the large cafeteria.

"Shut it can opener." Shadow toyed back. "Let's get out of here." He ordered just as sternly as he usually does. He was back to normal.

They left the complex after maneuvering a little through some of the upper stories. Omega fired his rockets and Rouge carried Shadow as she fluttered over to the FOB that G.U.N. had set up not too far away. Once they landed, they were well greeted. Especially by a particular girl.

"Shadow!" Hope said as she ran over to him and nearly knocked him over in an embrace. She then quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey Hope." Shadow answered back indifferently yet the hand he was rubbing on her back contradicted the expression his tone was portraying.

"I hear there was some concern for little ole' me somewhere in that brooding shell of yours." She smiled as she poked at Shadow's chest fur.

"Yeah yeah. It's been covered." He gave Rouge a quick leer before returning his attention back to Hope. "Glad you're alright kid." But despite how Hope was still hanging onto Shadow's side, that was enough for reunions for the hedgehog as his mind quickly was reoriented back to the mission at hand. "Did McCoy get the memory chip?"

"It is en route to his office as we speak." Rouge answered in the affirmative.

"Good. Now with this attack…"

Hope finally stepped off of Shadow to give her response. "The ERA are taking claims for the attack but all sources including satellite imaging and reports by The Chaotix say they didn't fire any missiles. We traced the vapor trail of the ballistics to an area close to Security Outpost 057. It was definitely Hook. It seems he wanted the ERA to fire the missiles but when their supply was sabotaged the other night, he took matters into his own hands in hopes the ERA would take claim for it. Which unfortunately for us, they have."

"Which is only causing more problems as the Echidna Nation is bordering civil war." Commander Tower walked up to the group. They must not have seen him approaching in amongst the bustle of the remnants of G.U.N and her employees running around the FOB. "Shadow, I don't ever want to hear you running off like that ever again. You're lucky we didn't consider those actions rogue actions!" He began to ream the dark hedgehog. "If we didn't have more important business at hand, I'd be sure to reprimand you for your actions. But right now, we need to get back to work."

*o*

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes." He gave a quick and solid answer. "Only if you are alright with it."

"Baby, I was born and raised in Feral Forest. I'm not one to fancy all these royalties anyway."

Elias gave a cheerful huff at his wife's comment.

"Then it's decided. I've been contemplating this for a long time now. I think it's best suited to wait until this whole Research Affair comes to a close though."

"I couldn't agree more." She said warmly.

…

It had been one hell of an eventful day for the Freedom Fighters. They successfully dismantled any civil unrest from the far borders of Acorn between Mobian and Overlanders and got back not too long ago. Not only that, after word earlier that G.U.N. HQ was attacked, the heroes just wanted to rest at Freedom HQ for the evening. Sonic and Sally were resting on one side of the couch while Bunnie and Antoine were on the other end. They were just casually watching television.

Tails was still out still. Unbeknownst to the others, he and Mina were out at dinner for the evening. Amy was passed out asleep, lounged across the love seat next to the couch. Yes, it was pretty low key at the moment for the group but they didn't mind one bit.

But they were still Freedom Fighters and their minds couldn't help but wander into current affairs. "Ah sure wish there was something we could be doing to fend of this Hook guy." Bunnie spoke up.

"Oh come on Buns! We just got back from riot control! I think we deserve a break." Sonic snapped in his normal snarky attitude.

"Oui. I am perfect sitting here ogling ze TV." Antoine agreed with the hedgehog.

"Ah know but I mean in the long run."

"Well I've actually been planning another mission at Security Outpost 057. We know that's Hook's main base yet we haven't gone back there. And for good reason, don't get me wrong, but now that Elias has put me back in charge of the FFs, I really want to go more offensive like we used to be in the Robotnik days." Sally explained. And she was right. The politics of the world changed substantially since the fall of Eggman – they didn't need offensive encounters anymore and relied heavily on defensive maneuvers. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be fairing so well with Hook. "Maybe not like a full frontal assault but something to gather more intel. I feel if we went in head first, we'd be outnumbered by his tricks and defenses and lost in the maze of that place."

"Always got that noggin of yours to keep things straight." Sonic toyed as he gently rubbed his knuckles to scratch behind Sally's ear. She smiled and gave a light flutter of her tail in response.

"Hey, I _am_ the brains of this crew am I not?" She jeered back.

Just then, a knock was heard at the door. "It's open." Sally called out as the doorknob was already beginning to turn. Once the door slowly opened, Elias was revealed.

"Ah Sally. Glad I found you here. Did everything go well near the borderlands?"

"Yup. Everything is settled… for the moment at least. I can't say more uprisings may occur but that won't be for a while at least. Unless something happens again." She reported.

"Well that's good to hear. Mind if I sit down?" He asked as he was still standing in the doorway. Sally thought it strange to see Elias so introversive toward the Freedom Fighters but she dismissed it.

"Sure. I'm sure we can find room."

At this, Sonic glanced over to Amy who was still asleep, sprawled out on the loveseat. He gave a near sinister sneer at the sight of her unconscious with her head cocked back and mouth gaping open. He reached down and grabbed his shoe that was on the floor next to the couch; he popped them off before plopping down. Drawing back his arm lightly to make sure he was on target, he tossed his shoe and hit her in the arm with it. She bolted awake with a start to see Sonic laughing on the couch next to her. She shot him a nasty glare before Sonic was able to cut through his chuckles with speech. "Sleeping beauty, mind making some room for the king?" He said still humorously.

It took Amy a short second to register that Elias was standing on the other side of the room. "Oh!" She jumped up a little and scooted over. "Yes, of course!"

"Thank you Miss Rose." Elias said as he moved over and sat on the open side of the love seat, closest to Sonic and Sally. Now his coyness was really raising some eyebrows. They are used to seeing him so proper but around them he is usually more relaxed. Something was bothering him.

"I need to speak with you Sally." He gave a nervous smile.

Sally noticed this and started to get up. "Do we need to go to another room?" But she was stopped by Elias who ushered her to not get up if she didn't want to.

"No we don't. It's probably best if all of you were here anyway seeing as it concerns the lot of you, and all of Acorn actually. Especially you as well Sonic."

Sonic flared his facial muscles with slight surprise. "Me?" But Elias just continued.

"I've been thinking for… well a matter of years really, and I've spoken with Megan as well. She always has my back in my decisions but I feel this one is best for the both of us. And for Acorn as well. I've decided to–" But his speech was interrupted by the television as it strangely burst to static.

"What in ze 'ell?"

But just as soon as it turned from their regular programming to static, a man soon appeared on the screen. An ordinary man sporting a white lab coat.

"_Good evening Mobius._" The man called out. Little did the group know, but they weren't the only ones watching this broadcast. In fact, it was on every television screen across Mobius. Team Dark and G.U.N. at their FOB was frozen as every worker and employee was stopped in front of the numerous monitors that were positioned around the base. The Chaotix were gathered around in the remnants of the Senate Chambers with Saren-ca and Whynmacher, watching the transmission as well. President Martin was sitting in his office as it blipped in on his screen. Nearly every eye on Mobius was watching.

"_I'm sure you all have heard a great deal of the _chaos_ that has been happening around our planet in recent times. These so called ' Research Affairs' have shaken so much of what we thought our society was laid out to be._"

"He must have somehow gotten into the satellite network!" Sally shouted out. By now the six that came to relax at Freedom HQ were not in their laid back positions on their respective pieces of furniture. They were all at the edge of their seat, each with a little bit of fear of what was unfolding in front of them.

"_Though I find it true that the necessity for survival during the rule of the tyrant known as Dr. Ivo Robotnik called for a world of unity, that notion has long since died out. Look at ourselves. We have become allies with the enemy. We were not meant to coexist. I have done countless research and studies on what is known as The Days of Fury. The history of our planet, of Mobius, of Earth, is one of complete turmoil and evolutionary tampering. Ladies and Gentleman, and furry scum of this planet,"_ He nearly spat the last part. "_I give you one of a triad of the greatest minds of ancient human history, Dr. Niven._"

At this, the screen blipped from the previous man in a lab coat and showed another. Except this one was in a hysterical state. Tears were running down his face and his voice was shaky. The time counter at the bottom of the screen read 20:50.

"_There was a substantial amount of evidence that the biology of the Xorda are, to put it in layman terms, superhuman compared to anything we have seen before. Not only are they capable of_" The man sniffled a bit and wiped his nose on his sleeve before continuing, "_capable of telepathy, telekinesis, and many other abilities, their cells have the regenerative capability that of what was previously impossibly perceived. Not only that, they have done extensive genetic wonders and are able of mutating at will! It's– It's astounding! We feel this is how they have been able to use their Gene Bombs to wipe out us humans. They have taken their own biological code to rewrite ours out of existence. They have literally taken the role of God and manipulated it toward their own will. Though I am a man of science, this strikes great fear into my heart. No species in the universe should have that ability._" He sniffled again but this time reached for a tissue and blew his nose. "_It is most probable that the effects of these Gene Bombs will not only eradicate nearly all human DNA from every aspect of the Earth but also will spawn new creatures to take our place. Ones that we are not quite sure of what they are yet. Thus we will also never live to know as this is The Rapture. This is our apocalypse... But rest assured, whatever becomes of the dust that once was our gene pool, remnant from the blasts of these biological weapons of mass destruction, will be an unnatural mutant offspring of what life once used to be here on planet Earth. In our studies we have also found_–" But that was all Dr. Niven had to say in this broadcast as his form blipped off the screen and the previous man appeared again.

"_That is all you need to hear from Dr. Niven._"

"It's the missing footage from the tape." Elias muttered in awe.

"Zis has got to stop!" Antoine shouted as the others were still transfixed on the television.

"There's no way G.U.N. and even our own security defense teams aren't already on it." Sonic stated pretty logically for the hedgehog. They continued to listen.

"_Is it not clear what we must do? Use this message, my dear friends, to make your own choice. We must purge Mobius of anything non-human and anthromorphic! Nature has always played the rule of weeding out the mutations of life's long cycle. Do you not think it will happen again? These Mobians are crippling us and they have since their abominable origins as the unnatural result of chemical waste an alien race used to wipe out the real dominant species of this planet! You've seen their aggression in the past months. They have savagely attacked our homelands. They have killed us in riots in the streets! Let's take back this planet of ours my overland brethren. We are the descendants of the humans! Strong enough to survive annihilation! We do not deserve to live alongside these hitchhikers to life._" The man was getting fumed as his speech was intensifying. He let out some heavy huffs to ease his tension before calmly continuing. "_I am not looking for power. I am not looking for you to follow me. I am but a mere scientist; a seeker of truth. I just wish to set things right and I have developed a way to do so. This is Doctor James Garfield Hook. Have a pleasant future._" The man ended on an eerily creepy note as a sneer and grin slowly stretched across his face before his image switched over to static. A mere second later and the previous programming was playing again on the television, as if it wasn't even interrupted to begin with.

The mouths of the people in the room were left ajar. "What– what was that?" Amy asked shocked.

Immediately, Elias got up. He saw what he needed to see and now was time for him to do what he needed to do as ruler of a nation. "I'm heading back to Castle Acorn. There is work to be done."

"Nuh huh _bro_. Do you really think after something like that, you can walk out in the open and stroll back to the castle? We may be in the Kingdom of Acorn but that doesn't mean you might not get nixed out of the picture after a message like that. We've your bodyguards from now on." Sonic snapped up out of his seat to proclaim.

"Sonic's right Elias. You need protection." Sally interceded.

"But we also need a plan! Let's get going then. I know it's late in the evening and you all are tired from your previous mission but we must collaborate with the other nations to get to the bottom of this. Revolts have probably started in the time we have stood here talking!" The king exclaimed.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that…just yet that is." Espio said as he slowly revealed himself from his camouflage. Nicole was standing behind him with a look of near sympathy on her face toward the chameleon.

"Espio?" Sally asked.

"And why is that Espio?" Elias didn't take too kind to the ninja's tone of voice.

"I just came back from a… _meeting_ with McCoy." At this, his eyes darted down o the ground. Nicole stepped up and placed a comforting hand on Espio's shoulder. He continued. "I know what Hook is planning and there is no time to waste."

"Oh?"

"Well go on Mr. Secretpants!" Sonic shouted.

At this, Espio informed them all of his encounter with McCoy and the assassin. How he was in hiding the entire time, to listen to the plan unravel and how McCoy planned out the whole scenario with the assassin. He told them about the Reverse Gene Bombs and everything, and how it was expected to all play out in three days time.

As if Hook's broadcast didn't strike enough fear into the hearts of those present at the moment, this news was enough to do them all in. Antoine and Amy were pale and Bunnie was shaking slightly. Sally was short of breath and Elias could hardly stand.

"Wh– where is McCoy? I need to speak with him about this." Elias called out.

Espio just nodded his head. "McCoy is dead. He began to taunt the assassin and he… killed him right then and there. It wasn't like McCoy to taunt but trust me when I say, it was all part of his plan…"

What started out as a calm and relaxed evening for the heroes, with some time to recuperate, turned into a spiraling downfall of a cataclysmic succession of events.

"By Aurora…" Was all Elias could mutter.

"This man 'as to be stopped!" Antoine shouted.

"Let's get to the central room. We need to reach the Echidan Nation and the U.F." Elias ordered as they left the main lounge room to go to the central command.

As they left, they television cut to a breaking news segment. "Riots and upheaval are occurring across the planet! It seems Hook's broadcast has struck a chord with many of Mobius' inhabitants. We've also just gotten word that Speaker of the House for U.F. and retired head of covert operations for G.U.N., Mr. McCoy, has been killed. We do not yet know if these events are related…"

…

"Nicole, patch me through to President Martin, Commander Tower, and Matriarch Saren-ca!" Elias ordered.

"Already on it sir!" And a short second later, the screens in the room opened up to a mass conference call.

"Good to see you are still safe King Elias." President Martin was the first to spoke.

"The same goes for you all as well." Elias answered in courtesy. "But unfortunately, we have bad news on our hands."

"I'll say! We've just had a public figure assassinated in his office! The bastard took out all surveillance of the building too." Tower angrily shouted.

"Worse than that I'm afraid. Espio?" Elias ushered as the chameleon stepped forward.

"I just spoke with Mr. McCoy and witnessed his murder. He brought me into his office so that I would know Hook's plans. He figured it all out on his own,"

"The smart fucker." Tower mumbled under his breath.

Espio continued as the comment was left unnoticed. "but he knew he wouldn't have time to let anyone know before the assassin came for him. So he had me hide in his office while they explained it all. There was nothing I could do for McCoy…" The chameleon was quite sorrowful for this fact and it showed in the fluctuation in his voice. Again, Nicole laid a comforting hand on him, then quickly patted him to continue. "What Hook plans to do, and within the next three days I might add, is ignite a Reverse Gene Bomb. All the facilities and technologies he has been acquiring – the roboticizer, the regeneratives, the data and information, all this _research_ has led him to develop these weapons. But not to wipe out the entire planet like the Xorda did, more just to wipe out Mobians. He has this fanatic obsession with overlander superiority and he has taken that to an extreme that may cause the death of millions of inhabitants of this world."

The room was in silence. Though this was the second time the Freedom Fighters had heard this news, it still shook them to their core. Martin and Tower were shocked but it did not impact them as much as the rest of the Mobians. Saren-ca looked on the verge of convulsing due to her large amounts of shacking. For the echidnas especially recall through their records the Days of Fury and fear greatly of what would to happen if they occurred again.

"This…can't be." President Martin stuttered.

"Well it is. And we need to do something about it!" Sonic shouted out.

"We don't have any other choice." Tower agreed.

"But we can't just waltz into Security Outpost 057 and take him out can we?" Elias was still unsure. He knew they had to do something, but what could they do? He wanted a plan first but thankfully, his sister was Princess Sally Acorn.

"We **will** go and make a strike on Security Outpost 057." The room fell silent as the field commander and head of the Freedom Fighters continued speaking. "I've had a plan in the works to go back to Security Outpost 057 but it wasn't very extensive. I can modify it for a full blown attack in no time. But this has got to be a full scale ordeal. President Martin, Commander Tower, we will need to utilize Team Dark and Matriarch Saren-ca, the aid of The Chaotix will be needed as well. We need our strongest forces to forefront the attack and numerous squadrons to back us up. If what Espio is saying is true, we don't have time as an ally. We need to take this guy out soon before he detonates those bombs. Or else it's all over." Sally concluded.

"That a girl!" Bunnie shouted and Sonic gave a whistle.

"We'll get Team Dark to collaborate immediately." Tower answered.

"And I'll get The Chaotix." Saren-ca said still a little shaky.

"Tower, Martin, Saren-ca – we'll keep in touch throughout the planning but for now, Elias out!" And the monitors blipped off one by one as each respective leader ended the conference call from their end. "Alright. Sally, you and Nicole get working on the game plan pronto! Sonic Bunnie and Commander D'Coolette, you keep in touch with Sally and Nicole on the strategy. Get close with Team Dark and The Chaotix and get input from them on how to go about this assault." Elias stood tall as he turned to the group that was there in person. "This is it boys, this is war! It's one thing to attack an ally. It's one thing to attack our homeland. But when you threaten genocide amongst a global populace, you are asking for a bullet in the head! This creep has infiltrated our systems for months now. He has wrought havoc across the nations and now this sinister character plans to do all of us in based on some radical ideals of his that he has imbedded into the minds of the weak. Well if one this is for sure, we won't let that happen! We _genetic mutants_ will show him what we're really made of and that we're made of the same things all living things are made of. We are no different than our neighbors! This strife will end at Security Outpost 057 or it will end with our deaths. Either way, we will let Hook know how dreadfully wrong he is. Those Gene Bombs will not drop. Mobian life will go on. And we will again live in unsegregated peace! Overlanders and Mobians!"

The king's audience let out a large cheer at the conclusion of the motivational speech.

"Now let's get to work." He finally and calmly commanded as everyone ran off to perform respective tasks. "Sally, Sonic. A word."

The two came up to him. "Great speech Eli! I didn't–" but Sonic was cut off.

"I'm just going to skip to the point here." Sonic straightened up as this was not really the time for jokes. "What I came to Freedom HQ initially for was to tell you two that I'm stepping down from King."

The two stood in awe and surprise. "Wha–" was all Sally could articulate.

"Once this whole 'Research Affair' is said and through… If we get through with it… That's when I'll be stepping down."

"Elias…" Sally called out soft and sympathetic.

"No. Like I promised, no more moping about your or my placement in the Kingdom because we both will be where we were intended to be. Megan Alexis and I will move back to Feral Forest and you and Sonic will take your place as the Monarch of the Kingdom of Acorn."

* * *

><p><strong>PS<strong>

If anyone was confused about the time orientation of this and previous chapters, essentially G.U.N. gets attacked, the data form Isaac is given to McCoy. McCoy meets with Espio, the Freedom Fighters meet at HQ, then the rest of this chapter transpires. Let me know if you have further questions!

And please review!


	27. Still a Need for Heroes: Zero Five Seven

**Author's Note:**

I apologize again for such late updates. School. This chapter is part 1 of the three-part finale. I give you all my promise, that by the end of this summer I will have this story completed. Two years is a long time for you all to stick around and I greatly appreciate it. This has been my largest project to date and you all helped make it happen.

Read, Review, and Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 27: Still a Need for Heroes:

Part 1: Zero Five Seven

So there they were; the heroes of Mobius were about to set off once more to fix a great wrong. The airstrip was lined with the Acorn guard to ensure the Freedom Fighters a well and safe sendoff. The FFs were prepping their gear, making sure they had everything in line, and were getting ready for the final assault. The ones that weren't conversing to each other, calming their anxious nerves as camaraderie does well with pre-battle jitters, were saying their goodbyes to loved ones and family.

Sonic and Sally were over by Sonic's parents as they came out to wish their son good luck on one more, and in their eyes hopefully his last, time at war. Bernie was hiding behind glassy eyes as it pained her to see him out fighting. Of course she and Jules were both fighters in the Great War, which didn't help as they knew firsthand the dangers their son was getting into, but regardless they still are parents. And no parents want to see their child off to war, no matter how many times their child has saved the planet.

Bunnie and Antoine were meeting with Rotor as he was making sure that Bunnie's boots and gloves were working properly and ready for a long haul. He developed an extended battery and fuel pack to make sure they would last long enough if this assault would take more than a few days.

Mina was there wishing Tails goodbye as well. "We just got together, I swear to Aurora if you die…"

"Don't worry, we'll all be fine. We'll take Hook out and we'll be home in no time." He gave her a smile and kissed her forehead. "And the moment we get back, I want to hear more of your songs…that is, if you can buck up and sing to me one on one." He toyed with her.

"We'll see about that." She blushed and smiled. "But promise you'll be back."

"I promise." He paused as they stood staring at each other for a moment. "I might have another bullet wound in me but–" The snarkiness in his current attitude earned him a swift smack to the arm.

"I'm serious!" She said sincerely but she couldn't help but have a small smile on her face at the fox's jeer. He tended to have that effect on her.

He let out some snickers before wrapping Mina in his arms and pulled her close. "Don't worry. We'll fix this mess just like we did with Eggman. And we ALL will be coming back."

Mina stood motionless as she took in the warmth from Tails' embrace. "Sounds good. Go get 'em."

By this time everyone was pretty much good to go. Sonic and Sally had finished speaking with Bernie and Jules and Rotor was done with his checks on Bunnie's gear. The royal couple looked over and saw Tails and Mina. It was the first time really the two of them was revealed to everyone seeing as they only got together the previous day. He gave her a kiss then walked over toward the hedgehog and chipmunk. "Well well little bro. Since when were you and Mina a thing?" Sonic batted at the fox as he approached. Tails' face got a little red but it quickly went away.

"Yesterday actually." He answered a bit bluntly.

"Uh huh." Sonic said prodding his elbow into Tails' side.

"Hey!" The fox chuckled a bit. "What the- Cut it out!" He swatted away Sonics jabs. "Geez, you don't see me getting all weird of you two."

"Alright everyone." The Freedom Fighters all turned to see Elias moving toward them. They gathered around as the King was about to give them their final sendoff. "As much as I would have wished to give you all a bit more rest between dealing with the uprisings near the borderlands and now, unfortunately as you all know this is dire. And I wanted all of you in on this as well, Tails you included."

"No problem your highness. I'm all healed and ready to go!" He snapped back enthusiastically.

"Yeah, no bullet is going to stomp out my little bro!" Sonic called out and gave Tails a smack on the back. "Sorry for holding you back the other day." He said a bit more sincere.

"No biggie." He said before entering a whisper. "Kind of glad you did." He mumbled as he turned to see Mina now talking with Rotor Bernie and Jules.

It was a bit peculiar to see everyone as chipper as they were; it was more than likely the adrenaline working. With the immediate threat of the end of their entire species at hand, they still found themselves laughing and enjoying each other. Maybe it was their therapy to cover up what they were really feeling at the moment…

"G.U.N. has dispatched Team Dark already." Elias continued. "They will be meeting you guys at the rendezvous point about 20 kilos from Security Outpost 057. The Chaotix will be meeting you there as well. Once you get there, there will be a G.U.N. convoy of jeeps and humvees that you will take to the outpost. G.U.N. teams will remain dispatched at the rendezvous point as security forces for your extraction and the Special Mark II as well as back-up if needed. Acorn Guards have already been sent to the bordering regions to settle any further unrest here in the homeland. Your infiltration _should_ still be a surprise, but with Hook we never know how much he knows. But we're near positive he has no clue we know that he plans to set those bombs off in a couple of days or so. So this operation may be more upfront than he is expecting, if he is expecting anything."

"Don't worry kingy. We'll take out this madman. Those bombs won't go off without a say from us." Sonic gave Elias a wink and thumbs up; one of Sonic's many signature gestures.

Elias smiled and let out a bit of a chuckle. "That's one thing I know for sure Sonic." Amongst everyone else's optimistic attitude, Elias was also in a much less serious mood. Sonic and Sally more so, but everyone seemed to notice how more unyielding Elias had gotten in past years as the monarch. When he first took the throne he was a lot more carefree and down-to-earth yet he slowly changed into a more firm character. Some would argue that is a necessity for being the head of an entire Kingdom but since Elias made his decision to hand off the throne to Sonic and Sally once, and if, this whole Research Affair was through, he was beginning to show his true colors once again.

"I'll be in touch with Nicole. She'll be with you all as well." Elias stopped and looked around at the crew. "Look at you all." He said with a wavering lip. "So much you have done for this world, and yet once again we are calling to you to save it. There will be no bigger spot reserved in the history books than for you. You've managed to hold back a tyrant since you were children, won back a conquered nation, freed millions from being robot drones," he turned to Sonic, "travelled across the universe," now turned to Antoine and Sally, "came back from the dead…" At this Bunnie had a tear forming in her eye and wiped it away with a simultaneous sniffle. Elias could have gone on forever but there was no need. "There will always be a need for heroes. And for right here and now, you are all the heroes we need." The king had nothing but adoration in his eyes for the Freedom Fighters. He pulled them in for as much of an embrace one man could do. "Godspeed my friends."

And at that, they embarked on their journey. Their gear was loaded up onto the Freedom Fighter Special Mark II and they went on board to take their seats. As they were strapping in and while Nicole was cyberneticly buzzing around the aircraft their true emotions started to arise. Fear. This the was point of no return. As soon as Antoine started those engines, there was no turning back. But in reality, there wasn't even the option. Nothing would be done if they sat back. Nothing would be done if they didn't voluntarily put their lives on their line in this assault. Nothing but the end of millions of other lives.

*o*

A couple hours later, the Mark II was approaching the rendezvous point. They looked down and already saw a bustling FOB set up by G.U.N. Antoine switched to the vertical landing and controlled the aircraft to the ground with a G.U.N. airmen guiding him with pointers.

They unloaded their gear and immediately met the officer appointed to oversee the FOB. "Good to see you here Freedom Figthers. I am Colonel Hangers. I'm in charge of watching over our presence here. Team Dark and the Chaotix have already been briefed." The crew didn't realize the Chaotix was already there but seeing as they still had access to the warp rings, it wasn't a surprise. "We have a few things still to get in line before we begin our assault."

Col. Hangers continued to give them a quick briefing before they went over a met up with Team Dark and the Chaotix. "Been a while since the lot of us was all working together am I right?" Rouge called out with one hand poised on her hip.

"Desperate times my friend." Knuckles joined in as he took a quick swig from a cup of water he was holding.

"Oh I see how it is." The bat called back in a hollow yet flirtatious tone.

"Let's remember who we're up against now. No need for hostilities." Sally, always the voice of reason, butt in.

"No issue here princess. We're only toying with each other." Knuckles answered back as his words were nothing but truth. They had no ill will toward each other.

Amy moved toward the water buffalo to get herself a drink. Shadow was near it leaning on it and Amy couldn't help but use this opportunity to mess with the brooding hedgehog as she always liked to do. "So, look at little ole me, 'taking cover and saving myself' like you warned me too all that time back." Her grin was solid as a statue.

Shadow didn't even look up. "All I can say is I tried to warn you." He pushed off the water buffalo and started to walk away, returning back to the solitude he so enjoyed. "You got lucky to find us last time we were here." He stopped and gave the pink hedgehog a returning smirk. "I guess we'll see how you really handle yourself now." Then he departed. Much to Amy's disappointment, he was able to get under her skin more than she wanted and it seems she didn't even faze him.

"So Knux, decided to step away from your one true love for a little bit did you? And I'm not talking about Julie-su." Sonic poked at his friendly nemesis.

"Oh hardy har har. If you MUST know, Remington dispatched some of his troops to watch over the Master Emerald. He has his hands tied dealing with the ERA but he was able to do this for me."

"Well regardless, it's good to see all our crews back together." The hedgehog took on a more serious tone. "Just like old times."

Bunnie was over talking with Sally in their own conversation as well. It seems everyone was talking with someone, again likely to calm their nerves. They looked over and saw Nicole and Espio laughing and talking with each other. "Well them two seem to be 'aving some good times. Been seein' them together a lot ya know Sally-girl?"

"You know, I have too. I've known they've been good friends but over the past year or so, I swear Espio's been in Acorn more than with the Chaotix." She said pondering as she began rubbing her chin.

"Well I think it's good to see Nicole enjoying herself. Makes me forget she's artificial and all. Ah never liked to think of her like that."

Sally let out a glowing smile. "She's never been artificial. Friends are as real as they get." She said as they continued to watch Espio and Nicole enjoying each other.

Tails was over talking with Antoine Mighty and Ray while Matillda Julie-su and Saffron were having some girl talk of some sorts. Charmy and Vector were sleeping over underneath a small tarp overhang. It was definitely a small reunion. They only wished it was under non-genocide threatening circumstances.

"Team Dark, Freedom Fighters and Chaotix. Please report to the garage to begin insertion." The PA sounded over the entire FOB. Everyone grabbed their gear and began heading out. This was it.

*o*

It didn't take long for them to throw their stuff into the jeeps and just like that they were off. The drive wouldn't take too long, about half an hour as the vehicles ventured through the desert, but that was just enough time for their nerves to get going.

Everyone except Knuckles it seemed though. He was thoroughly enjoying piloting a vehicle that easily went over rocks gravel and dirt. "You know, this 'off-roading' thing is awesome!" He yelled as the jeep he was driving got a little airborne as he went over a bit of a bigger rock. As they landed, they felt the shocks adjust and after a bounce or so it keep moving on smoothly. He leaned over to Julie-su, "When we get back, I'm telling Remington to get me one of these things!" She just rolled her eyes.

But as most of the day seemed to be going, whatever high spirits they were in ended shortly as they were reminded of the task ahead of them. They stared unwaveringly at the small building off in the distance: Security Outpost 057. It looked small yet they knew, two thirds of them by first-hand, that the complex was an underground maze. A city was resting underneath these sands and the anxiety of knowing they had to go in nearly blind and find genocide capable devices that they had no idea where they were or what they looked like was a dreadful thought that loomed over all of them. Why they even took up this mission, they wondered.

But the answer was simple. Because they had to. Because the lives of millions of beings depended on them whether those lives knew it or not.

…

Expecting some kind of heat from the Outpost, they got into positions ready to retaliate. A few kilometer away, they were able to identify sentry guns mounted to the roof of the small external structure. "Heavy guns on the roof." Sonic said as he pulled some binoculars away from his eyes. "Better watch yourself Tails." He leaned back and said with a smirk. Tails just shook his head at the joke.

"Alright, it's show time everyone." Sally called out over their radios. "Lock it up and let's get ready to infiltrate. Amy, Sonic – get ready. Shadow and Omega, you too."

It didn't take long for the defenses of Hook's stronghold to begin their tasks. The guns were firing on their targets. The drivers of the vehicles were doing their best to evade the gun fire but moving in serpentine patterns but they couldn't help get nicked every once in a while. Luckily the vehicles contained heavy armament and were greatly reinforced.

But as Sally commanded, it was time to make the offensive. Amy and Sonic were in a humvee with Antoine and Bunnie. They cautiously wormed out of an open window and climbed on the roof of the vehicle. If the two could stand on the wings of a flying plane, surely they could manage a ground vehicle. Sonic balled up and began to spin while Amy drew back her hammer. Across the way, Shadow was in the back of Team Dark's jeep. He readied a rocket launcher onto his shoulder while Omega armed some small missiles as well.

"Make sure your targets are locked!" The field commanding princess shouted into the radios as they approached a certain distance to the complex. "On my mark folks. Drivers, get us steady for a moment!" The drivers quit the serpentine maneuvers and just as they did, she gave the order. "MARK!"

Missiles, and a very daring blue hedgehog, zoomed through the air. A few of the missiles were hit by the sentry guns' shots and exploded before hitting their targets. But a some were able to continue on. BOOM! BOOM, BOOM! Three guns were already out from Team Dark. Sonic busted into a fourth before landing right on his feet on the roof. Dashing to the other guns, he smashed through them with ease.

"Roof defenses are out." He called to Sally over the radio.

"Good job Sonic." She then redirected her attention to Bunnie. "We still are in need of some ground coverage. Bunnie, think you can handle it?" And without hesitation, one of the humvee doors was thrown open and out busted Bunnie, flying right next to the assaulting caravan. She jetted forward and began firing at some of the ground turrets.

The outside defenses were gone in no time and the rest of the task force made it to the main entrance shortly after. Julie-su, Matilda, Rouge, and Bunnie were posted as security forces as the rest of the crew quickly unloaded their gear from the vehicles. "Alright everyone, for those who wasn't with us last time, this place is a maze. Be extremely careful where you tread and always have a battle buddy. Never go anywhere alone. This is a different part of the complex then where we were last time so be ready for anything. Hook knows we're here now." Sally said to the crew in a quick huddle.

"Let's take out this creep." Sonic said as he threw a fist into a palm.

"Stay cool hedgie." Rouge snapped back.

"Alright, everyone ready?" They all gave a communal head nod. "Ok. Let's do this. Omega, blast open a way in."

"You are not my superior officer; I do not approve taking orders from you. But you asked me to destroy something so I will comply." The large robot called out and got ready to punch a hole in the large hanger-like door in front of them.

"Any reason we can't just open the door?" Sonic questioned.

"That's what Lien da and her scavengers did and they got trapped in. This way, we'll for sure have a way out." She answered.

Sonic smiled. "You still got it Sal."

Omega fired a couple explosives at the door and thus an entrance was created. "Scanning." He called out, using his sensors to cut through the smoke from the blast. "Immediate entrance clear."

Antoine, Mighty, Knuckles, Espio, and Amy ran in to post. Everyone else soon followed. "This place is as eerie as ever." Rouge crossed her arms and huffed. Inside this room was another storage-like area. Large crates were stacked and scattered across the place. 'Radioactive Material,' 'Highly Reactive Chemicals,' and other similar labels were painted on the crates.

"We picked one hell of an entrance didn't we?" Tails asked rhetorically.

"Just try not to damage any of this stuff." Espio advised.

"Well we sure as shit won't want to. Can't say the same for anyone else in this place." Vector said as he slowly tried to open one of the crates with a less threatening label, curious as to what actually was inside.

"Nicole, what is the immediate area of this complex looking like?" Sally got out Nicole's original handheld form and asked.

Projected out from the screen, a holographic of Nicole was displayed as she began explaining. "There are two main passages from this storage area. One is an original with the complex and the other was added at a later time. I've already scanned most of the materials in storage here. Some have decayed to a point that won't be a threat to us and others are too mechanically deteriorated that they couldn't do us any harm. I advice proceeding with caution; I am sensing large clusters of electrical impulses heading our way through the original passage. I cannot confirm but it may be more E-100 series like last time."

"Thanks Nicole." Sally said as the lynx blipped back into the handheld device.

"You heard her everyone, be advised for enemy contact!" Rouge stepped in.

The offensive force split into groups and posted themselves in positions of advantage and good cover. As they waited for the secret passage to present itself, and whatever may lie behind it, they sat and waited. A crash was heard. They looked over to see a new entrance. Those with weapons, Bunnie, Rouge, Julie-su, Shadow, and Omega, took aim down the dark corridor. The other hard hitters, Knuckles, Amy, Sonic, Antoine, Mighty, Matillda, and Vector got ready in their own way as well.

But it wasn't any E-100s that passed that dark portal. In fact, it seemed nothing did. "Umm, Nicole?" Sally asked.

"Wait one. I'm doing another scan…" It was a mere second later before the handheld glowed red with caution. "Alert! They're invisible and airborne!" As the cybernetic lynx shouted this out, lasers form the unseen foes lit up the arena. Diving behind cover and crates, the trifecta of teams became instantly shaken up. Team Dark along with Julie-Su and Bunnie began shooting frantically at what they were trying to see as the origins of the lasers that were being fired on them. Tails quickly began flying up. He was quite adequate at evading the lasers while in flight. He too was trying to track the objects from where the lasers seemed to appear from, attempting to take some down. Charmy Saffron and Ray were doing the same thing but they were not as aggressive seeing as they could not do as much as Tails due their weaker fighting abilities.

Sonic wasn't having any trouble dodging the lasers. In fact, he had to take extra care not to run _into_ the lasers as he dashed around the warehouse. Others were simply maintaining their cover behind crates and boxes.

"Grr." Shadow grumbled. "Omega, can you spot any of them? Are they emitting radio waves or something that you can detect?"

"Negative. They are autonomous, not remote controlled. Heat signals visible in infrared." He proclaimed and began firing at some of the flying bots as he could see them in a different light spectrum. But it still wasn't good enough; there were too many of them. "Cannot solely take out drones. Will have little ammo for remainder of mission if so."

"We've got to be able to identify them somehow!" Amy shouted out as she swung her hammer in a seemingly wild pattern as she was attempting to hit some of the low flying ones. But again, it was hard to tell whether she was swinging at air or not.

"Sonic! Can you use your homing attack on them?" Sally shouted.

"Kind of helps if I can see where I'm 'homing'." Sonic retorted as he was bouncing around the room still dodging the lasers. At one point he bounced off the floor and smashed one of the drones by pure chance. "HA! Totally meant to do that."

Tails was higher up above the fray at this point. He looked down and saw the smashed and buzzing machine that Sonice had hit (Omega's were mostly blown to bits). "Sally!" He shouted. "Can you get Nicole to that drone Sonic hit and see what makes these things tick?"

Amongst the gunfire and frantic shouts, Sally could only make out a few of the flying fox's words but it was enough to get the point across. "Bunnie, Espio, someone give me cover!" She commanded.

"We got you Sally'girl." Bunnie screamed over the noise as she gave a few final shots before flying toward the princess' direction. Espio had already snuck his way toward her.

As soon as Sally saw she had friendly eyes watching her, she made her dash out across the warehouse-like room. Zigzagging around the crates with lasers searing the boxes to her left and right, she made it to her destination. She grabbed the sparking machine and dragged it to sufficient cover so that Bunnie and Espio could get back to watching their own hide. "Alright Nicole, let's see what these things are made of."

In the meantime the rest of the crew was starting to get tired from bouncing and running around. All except Sonic really. They had to come up with something fast otherwise the ever slowing dodges they were making wouldn't be enough.

Omega was still getting some of them, but was conscious of expending his ammo, and occasionally the other ones in the strike force were able to knock one out by luck. Amy got one as a drone decided to chase Antoine as he hopped from crate to crate. It was flying low and Amy could tell it was coming as it continued to shoot visible lasers so, from behind a box and out of view, she staged a trap and smashed the chasing drone with her hammer. The ones with guns occasionally landed a hit and though that did not mean they took one out, often it disoriented the machine enough to either quickly lose its camouflage for a moment or lose altitude to be busted down by one of the ground fighters. So their progress was not stagnant but it was hardly helpful.

"Princess!" Julie-su shouted. "Found anything from that damn bug Sonic brought down?" She continued to fire into the sky hoping to hit one of them while Matilda and Mighty were standing on top of a tall pile of boxes nearby swinging large metal pipes like baseball bats in an attempt to create some sort of frantic fly swatter.

"Nothing of use!" Sally shouted back to much dismay.

Charmy Saffron and Ray were doing their best to stay out of the tussle as they did not have the strength and fighting capability of Tails who kept trying to dive bomb one flying enemies when he got the chance. But they weren't just watching, they were thinking hard of a way to overcome this threat. "I-I-If only th-there was a w-way to see these g-guys." Ray stuttered as he was straddling one of the rafters since he could really only glide and not hover like the bees.

But it didn't take Charmy until one of the drones' lasers busted open a crate and a bunch of sawdust and wood clippings used as shipping cushioning went flying everywhere that he got an idea. "I got it!" And before he could relay the message he doves down into the chaos.

"Charmy wait!" Saffron shouted as she reached for him but he was already gone. Dodging some of the lasers, and luckily his small nature did not make him as notable as a target as his friends, he buzzed by the smashed crate and scooped up all the sawdust and clippings he could cradle then flew up above again. Like buckets of water being dropped over wildfires, he released the material and it sprinkled down like rain. Most of it just floated slowly to the ground but a good number of them got caught in the mechanical structure of the fluttering enemies. The bee went down for another scoop and as Saffron and Ray watched, his plan clicked and they followed suit. They swooped down and did the same, making the warehouse resemble a snowstorm in an instant.

Though the effect wasn't apparent to everyone, "Damn it Charmy! This is no time to play _winter wonderland_." Vector shouted, others caught on.

"Smart thinking Charmy!" Knuckles screamed out. "Everyone, lock on and let's finally taking these annoying badniks out!"

"Time to switch gears!" Sonic called out in jubilation, ready to go onto the offensive instead of the continuous dodging. He spun and landed on the ground, sliding a bit which was a typical physical reaction to his speed. Once he stopped, he dashed forward and lunged into the air forming a signature blue ball that bounced from one drone to the next in an instant.

Espio continued to swiftly move around the aircrafts' lasers but every once in a while would throw a star toward the drones. Once they hit, they would explode as he internally rigged them with explosive material.

The shooters actually had a solid target to shoot at and were much more effective in taking them out and the other ground fighters were happy to smash them into tiny pieces once they got in proximity.

Within a few minutes, the last of the attacking buzzards crashed down to the ground. It's no surprise that with the amount of skill housed in the three teams, all they needed was a level playing field and the fight would soon be over.

"That's ze last of 'em." Antoine said as he threw down a half sliced body of a drone, clearly cut in half by his own sharpened blade.

"Thank Aurora too. Little buggers zapped my tail." Vector complained as he was rubbing a burn from one of the airborne enemy's laser. But not unlike Vector's character, he didn't think before he spoke as nearly all of them had succumbs to some kind of hit from the lasers and all had some burns of some sort. Julie su was about to say something to retort to the crocodile but Knuckles stopped her.

"Well the small talk is _lovely_ but we need to get moving if we plan on stopping this guy before he takes out anything with fur and a hide on this planet." Rouge spoke out to suggest.

"Right." Sally said as she too snapped back into the mission at hand. "Nicole, of the paths presented to us, which would be the sound choice to take?" In the previous months, there were some intelligence and reconnaissance gathering about Security Outpost 057. Not only that, Nicole had been tirelessly analyzing the complex and had a pretty sound vision, based on probability of previous information, on how the complex would be laid out.

"Though a splitting of our forces is inevitable, I don't think we should take that option just yet. Seeing as this is an old Robotnik facility and those drones came from the original passage, there is a greater likelihood that more enemies would reside down that path. The additions to the complex were added by Hook so those paths would probably lead to him."

"Alright! Let's get moving gang!" Sonic called out.

"Not so fast!" Nicole shouted back. The blue hedgehog turned toward her holographic form as she stood in the middle of the group. "Utmost caution needs to be taken. We can't just go in head strong; Hook has traps and knows this place more than we do. W-we have to be careful."

"Nicole…" Sally noticed a dip in the AI's demeanor. "Is everything alright?"

The lynx looked around at all her friends. "I just have a feeling–" but she stopped to change her words. "I'm afraid of what would happen if we fail. I don't want to lose you all." She gave a weak smile. Though her words were true, if they were all to perish with the reverse gene bombs, she would be left alone in the world.

Espio was about to step forward but hesitated. Instead Sally jumped in and latched around her old friend. "Don't worry Nicole. We won't leave you, and we won't fail."

"Not if we don't get moving." Rouge mumbled under her breath. She poked an elbow into Shadow. "This is why we never do joint work." The dark hedgehog simply responded with a grin.

Nicole smiled back at Sally's words. "Thanks."

"Alright, now if we're all ready to move on," The group gave a nod. "Then let's get moving. And remember, be careful." Sonic then took charge, never being the one to stand in one place for too long.

The trio of special forces crept down their selected path with hesitation. Bunnie was point with a light shining from her gloves while Omega took the rear in case they were flanked at any moment. Nicole was back in the handheld and Sally continuously had her open and displayed so she could navigate around the area.

Luckily for the crew, that path wasn't one of the winding trap filled secret passages they discovered on their previous visit to Security Outpost 057. Instead it led to another large room. This one however was a lot darker. They must have been moving underground because the only shred of natural light into the large room they currently occupied was from a small hazy sunroof/window in the ceiling. It did not resemble a storage kind of room like the previous one did but it did house large and tall stacks of computer towers and mainframes. Upon inspection, one could easily tell they were old, outdated, and out of commission but nonetheless Sally had Nicole try to pry some kind of information from them. Any and all intel would only be an advantage for them as they ventured further into the unknown.

"I hope you know, I do not take too kindly to trespassers." A disembodied voice sounded through the air. It was obvious who it belonged to. "I don't know why you disgusting cretins decided to pay a second visit on such short impulse but that matter does not concern me. It won't be long before you are decaying to my uttermost joy."

"Tails, you're super smart. Why do all these guys seem to like the sound of their own voice?" Sonic felt the impulse to ask.

Tails raised his shoulders in uncertainty. "Well everyone we've had to deal with has been a bit crazy. Maybe it's a metal issue?"

Hook continued. "But before my dreams are realized, I must ensure you meddlers do not prolong my efforts. Well… He will ensure it." They heard the click of a loud speaker cut off.

"He?" Matilda asked.

"Shit. The assassin! Stand guard everyone!" Espio belted out in revelation. Those wielding weapons drew them immediately and began scanning the area, watching for any movements or those dooming red dots, often mistaken as the enemy's eyes.

They stood silently in a circle with their eyes pointed in every direction, radiating from the epicenter of their group cluster. When nothing happened, Knuckles spoke up. "We should find some good cover. That or keep moving. We know he can easily pick us off in this large area. The same thing happened to Lien da's team."

"The echidna's right." Shadow spoke.

"Nicole, were you able to scrape together any useful information from these servers?" Sally asked with her hand on the link cable that conjoined Nicole's handheld to a large tower that she stood next to, ready to yank it out in an instant.

"Not a lot. Much of the data has been corrupted but I do have an escape route that will take us a good distance from the assassin, if he's even here." The computer replied.

"Great. Show us the way." Sally said, pulling the cord from the tower and quickly zipping it away in her pack.

"Heat signature identified in rafters." Omega blatantly stated.

"Get down everyone!" Knuckles shouted, still with Lien da's last excursion in mind, and immediately everyone hit the deck. Just then, a loud 'bang' resonated through the room simultaneously as a server stack right next to the group housed a new fashioned dent in the side. "Not this time!" Tails shouted out angrily in response to the gun shot.

"Sally!" Nicole called out. "Remember when I said we couldn't split up just yet. The escape routes I have plotted calls for just that."

"Whatever will get us the hell out of here!" Vector shouted as he overheard Nicole's comment.

"Nicole, go over our radio earpieces and tell us where to go!" Sally ordered. By this time, the group had already swiftly started to move around the maze of mainframe stacks, crouched low to avoid over exposure. They continued in the same direction, opposite of the entrance to the room they came in. Another gunshot sounded. No one heard any loud screams so they figured it was another miss and kept moving.

"There are three exits!" The computer's voice was heard in each of their ears. "Shadow, Sonic, Bunnie, Tails, Espio, and Charmy – to your 10 o'clock is service chute. Shadow, it'll be your 11 o'clock. Don't be hesitant to jump in." And just like that, that group split away and headed in their appointed direction. "Omega, Knuckles, Vector, Mighty, Matlida, and Amy – straight ahead is a passage way. As soon as you all are in, Omega, block the entrance." The loud bang of a heavy caliber gun echoed once again.

"Ray! Ray needs to come with me!" Mighty shouted out to Nicole.

"He's needed with the other group. Trust me, he'll be in good hands." Nicole responded. Mighty grumbled but complied.

"The rest, Sally, Antoine, Ray, Saffron, Julie-su, and Rouge, regroup with Sally. I'll be directing her to your exit. And make it quick!" The lynx's voice was silenced from the group's communications system as everyone simply focused on making it to their next checkpoint alive.


	28. Still a Need for Heroes: A Son to Fate

**Author's Note:**

Two months is long for an update I know but I can't say how busy I am. I can't tell you how many countless hours of sleep I've lost. Even now, it's 3am and that's just because I really wanted to finish this before I dive into my next work load. But on the bright side, ONE MORE CHAPTER TO GO!

Since a few of the reviews are posted as "guest" I want to answer a few questions/make a few comments here real quick. If you don't really care, then continue onto the chapter.

Grammar, spelling, all that: I know. I know it is something I need to work on and could easily be fixed by going back and rereading the chapter and play editor but...no other excuse than I'm actually kind of lazy to do that. Usually it takes me so long to get a chapter finished, I just want to upload it right then and there. When it comes to word usage, I often (craply) try to be somewhat poetic at times. So for example it was stated that calling Megan a martyr was improper, I used it to kind of symbolize how she has given up at least part of the enjoyments of life to be there right beside Elias while he is suffering and painstakingly carrying out his duties as king. (See poetic right?...Maybe?) As for repetitiveness, again it takes me a long time to construct a chapter which often involves me putting it down and picking it up weeks apart so there is bound to be some repetitiveness in there because I would have forgotten what I wrote. I do apologize for that. And the last thing to answer, yes this kind of is a prequel to the Mobius X Years Later plot. It doesn't pertain to it really in a whole lot of ways, but you can say its a prequel.

I really do appreciate the reviews and critiques. It is all for improvement and to show me you all actually like what I'm writing here. So thanks a ton guys, seriously. Now that that's out of the way...

Read, Review, & Enjoy! (And sorry if this is so long... I just kept writing and writing and writing and...)

* * *

><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 28: Still a Need for Heroes:

Part 2: A Son to Fate

"Sir, I know it's your kingdom and it's your choice but I highly advise you keep this under the table until we see if our teams are successful in their mission!"

"If? Do you not have trust in them?"

"…That's not what I meant."

"Regardless, naivety and a lack of known information may work for you all over in the U.F. but by damn if I keep a public issue from the public in my kingdom…"

"Word from Acorn will spread to all corners of the world. Your decision affects all of us."

"Well in a day or two there may not be much of 'us' left in the world. A majority of your citizenry will be unharmed but there are still is a Mobian population under your flag. Do you not find it fair to those that they spend their possible last days with loved ones?"

"I encourage you to reconsider. There will be rioting, looting, violence and panic in the streets!"

"They have a right to know their fate. The decision has been made, sir."

"…"

*o*

The world sat silent in melancholy and fear. It listened in devastation as they learned about the mass genocide that was creeping upon them. Everything had changed since the revelation of Hook's dastardly plan; the execution of a majority of the world's populace simply out of pure hate and bigotry. The situation seemed surreal, like something out of some crazy action thriller. An apocalypse was approaching and the only thing anyone could do, other than the few already in action, was hope pray and enjoy what could be their last moments of life with their friends and family.

It was all too strange to be real. Within two days, the laughter of Mobian children in the streets would cease. Entire nations would be left deserted. It didn't matter who you were; tasmanian or echidna, ERA or not, of royal decent or simple commoners, the clans of the Far East. They all faced the same fate if the Freedom Fighters, Team Dark, and the Chaotix were to fail. For a brief moment in time all quarrels disputes and fighting was rendered useless as they all were about to succumb to the same death. Families were huddled together in their living rooms. Mothers were crying. Friends were spending what could be their last moments together. Even the overlanders, who were the overall planet's minorities, felt the pain that some of their friends, neighbors, and colleagues could be gone in the span of a couple of days.

"For those just tuning in…" A pigeon reporter stated lowly with hindered spirits. "King Elias has just addressed the nation about the final plans in these 'Research Affairs.' It is a fearful circumstance that we are in and–" The reporter raised a few feathers to wipe away yet another tear from her eye. She had noticeably been crying, or on the verge of doing so, due to her red eyes and constant sniffles. "and we urge everyone to remain indoors and in the safety of their home in case any violence or riots may occur. We will be having the King's speech playing throughout the rest of the day..."

"…It is with heavy hearts that I inform you, my nation, of this tragedy. This villain is surely a force to be reckoned with. Through the eyes of Mobius' children, our story will be told as it has been throughout the years and troubled times. But I assure you our story will not end here." The king himself was sounding tired and depressed, anxious about it all. "Like other villains before, we have sent our best to stomp out this great evil. Let it be known that once again we put our trust with the allied powerhouse of the Freedom Fighters, Team Dark, and The Chaotix in an attempt to take out Hook before he sets off the reverse gene bombs in two days time. The teams were shipped out early this morning to Security Outpost 057 with G.U.N. forces backing them."

The king straightened up a bit to ensure more confidence and formality. "We have had confirmation that they have infiltrated the base but due to the immediate action that had to take place, they do not have a clear notion of where they are going, of what to expect in the underground labyrinth of the complex, or any other dangers they may face. But rest assured I have full confidence they will get the job done as they have on several instances before…" Elias had to pause a moment as a couple tears dropped from his eyes onto the podium he stood behind. He raised his head to continue. "I– I find it fitting that those that are on the forefront of this operation, of this attempt to save a majority of our planet, are of the targeted species. With the exception of the robot Omega-123 and AI Nicole, all of the attacking force is Mobian…" He knew he wasn't supposed to bring personal affairs into politics but this was a time for exceptions. "My sister. Her husband. The future rulers of this Kingdom are in there... My family is in there. My friends are in there." He sniffled before snapping back on track. "We must stay strong as a whole, not only for the sake of those fighting to save our world, but for the sake of ourselves as well in what may be our last moments.

"I urge all of you to spend this time with your friends and family. We WILL overcome this evil. But regardless… It is never too late to show affection for those that we love and care. For just a couple hours ago, we all were going on our lives as if nothing was wrong. Who knows what the next few minutes could hold. So cherish those last few minutes as if the world was ending… And may Aurora save us all."

*o*

"AHHHH!" Sonic shouted as he continued to fall. He never was one to have such tact, but it's hard to not scream when you are falling into the unknown in complete darkness. If he was in a steady state of mind, he would question why he was the only one screaming but a simple explanation would find that half of the party that went his path can fly, and the other two are Espio and Shadow.

"Gotcha Sonic!" The hedgehog heard as his movements stopped and he felt a firm grip around the wrists above his head. He heard the familiar twirls of his favorite fox seeing as Tails must have caught him. "If you weren't screaming so loud I probably wouldn't have been able to find you in here." He somewhat joked.

"Yeah. Well if anyone asks, it was Shadow that was screaming. Speaking of which, where is everyone else?"

"We're over here." Espio sounded off as Charmy must have grabbed hold of him in the initial jump.

"I was caught by this _belle_ over here." Shadow half-grumbled as he was reclined in Bunnie's arms.

"Ah'd be weary of your sweet talk sug. I'm a married gal." Bunnie spat.

"HA! Bunnie, if you think Shadow is capable of sweet talk, you must not really know the guy." Sonic called out.

"Shut it faker."

"So. Where are we?" Tails cut through the side chatter and asked. The group looked out into the distance and after a few moments to let their eyes adjust, they could see a network of pipes and shafts that stretched on for what seemed like miles. Further down the path, more light was shining on the path.

"Now why did Nicole send us down this path?"

"Probably because she knew we could traverse it." Shadow answered the other hedgehog's question.

As soon as he said it, it all clicked for Sonic. The long pipes, the open gaps, small holes and different rails. A large grin encompassed his face as he imagined the fun he was about to have zooming through this underground tunnel. "Well then. We better get started." He gave Tails a light head nod toward the pipes and they gently hovered over to them. Tails lowered Sonic onto a large platform and let go once he knew Sonic had his feet down firm. Charmy went over and did the same thing, dropping Espio on the same platform. Bunnie shortly followed and did the same for Shadow. "We don't want that creepy assassin-boy to come after us do we?"

"D-do you think he is here?" Charmy asked as he began looking around, not like he could see anything stick out in the dark underground tunnel.

"Unless he can Chaos Control, there is no way he'd be here. The chute door closed right behind me and Charmy." Espio explained.

"Ah thank Aurora for that too. That guy gave me the creeps!" Bunnie exclaimed with a shutter.

"Sonic? Tails? Can you hear me?" It was Nicole. The entire group listened in as their COMs sounded off with the artificial lynx's voice.

"We hear you loud and clear Nicole. What's the scoop?" Sonic responded.

"My apologies for the sudden scattering but it was the best way to get out of the assassin's killzone."

"Hey, don't worry about it. Other than Shadow screaming a bit during a short fall, we're all good." Sonic could feel Shadow giving him the worst glare and stink-eye. All he could do was let out a sneer in response. "So how far down this hallway are we going?"

"I need further analysis to tell you to be honest. But right now, our primary objective would be to have everyone regroup. The other two groups have already started to head down their path. The closest rendezvous point seems to be a service hallway. The only problem is there isn't a direct access from your location to that hallway. The tunnel you are in runs right below it so I'm thinking Omega could _make_ an access point for you all if you get there in time." She explained as her words reverberated in their ears.

"You just tell us what to do and we'll get it done." Sonic said then he turned to the rest of his team. "Alright guys, let's do it to it." And with Sonic at point, they all began traversing through the twisted pipeways. Grinding, running, flying, jumping, and twirling like the perfectly choreographed freerunners they were.

…

"So we are– *grunt*" Amy started to say before having to swing her hammer to break through another deteriorated wall that, according to Nicole, was 'in their path.' "–we are the powerhouse team then huh?"

"That's what it seems. Nicole did a good job splitting us all up. We all are the strong, heavy-hitters." Knuckles added.

"Makes sense seeing as we've had to bust through at least a dozen walls already." Vector chimed in.

"Is that some of your 'detective' work Vector?" Mighty chuckled a little bit. "And what do you mean _we_?" He added as he moved over to a large boulder that was blocking their pathway now. He bent down and picked it up with ease, tossing it into a neighboring room as the group continued walking.

"I mean us…collectively. Okay so you guys, whatever!"

"You know Vector, you never change." Matilda joked with a smile as she took the rare chance to speak up. She walked over to help Mighty with some of the rubble of the collapsed passageway they were in.

"Yeah, well…" The large crocodile crossed his arms and stuck out his tongue. "They say consistency is key ya know."

Knuckles wasn't too focused on the background chatter like the others though. Always the mission oriented one, he radioed into Nicole. "Nicole, any word on the others? What is everyone else's situation like?"

"Sonic and his group just started heading down their path. Sally and I are working on getting past a storm door down our way. Otherwise, I'm not picking up anything at the moment – neither biological or synthetic. You guys are still relatively in range to my sensors so at the moment, we won't be experiencing any unwanted interactions. I don't count on that to last though." She explained.

"Have we come up with a meeting point? How much do we need to keep busting through these walls and collapsed ceilings?" He queried.

"For now, we'll just have to keep moving. It's looking like Sonic Tails and the others may end up a bit ahead of you guys. They're moving pretty fast down their path. As for us on our end…" She paused. "Umm, well I guess I'd get back to you on that."

The echidna let out a sigh. "Alright. Knuckles out."

"So we'll be doing this–" Mighty began to say as he bent down and picked up another large boulder. "for quite a while won't we." He finished his statement as he overheard the entire conversation.

"It seems like it." Knuckles moved over to the pile of debris they were currently relocating and gave a swift punch to one of the larger rocks causing it to break up into smaller ones. He picked one up and tossed it at Vector who caught it only in quick reflex. "But Sonic is already got a head start. We don't want them to have all the fun do we?" He let out a sly grin.

…

"That was Knuckles. It seems they are moving at close to the same rate as us." Nicole stated through the audio of her handheld form, with wires sprouting from her to the control panel of a large storm door that remained sealed shut, as Sally fiddled with her functions in an attempt to open said door.

"Well at least we'll have someone to regrou– Damn it!" Sally interrupted herself as she slammed a hardy fist into the door. "This blasted thing, I can't get it open."

"Umm, princess?" Julie-su spoke up a bit.

"Yeah?"

"If you don't mind, I have some satchel charges we could use…" The rest of those in their party gave her a quizzical look. "Well I was hoping to save them for something later but we kind of have to get moving." She said with a bit more urgency and confidence this second time around.

"Hell, I'm down." Rouge broke the silence.

"Get them ready." Sally commanded and as she threw her pack off her back, digging around for the explosives, Julie-su complied.

It didn't take them long to get them all set up. They figured only two would suffice, one on each of the large hinges. That way Julie-su had two more to save for later like how she had intended. "Everyone ready?" The echidna called out as they all stood a good distance away, crouched behind crates and walls. "Three, two, one…" *click* and just like that, the bombs went off. They all covered their ears and kept their eyes shut from whatever shrapnel would be flung at them. The dust began to clear and they looked on to see the door lying flat on the ground.

"Good work su!" Saffron shouted as she was first to flutter over to continue moving down their path.

"Oui, très bon." Antoine added as he too started walking.

But to the group's misconception, it wasn't actually all that good. Suddenly, the walls began to shake as the structural integrity of the hallway must have significantly decreased in the blast. "Guys, get moving. Now!" Nicole shouted through the handheld. And without a moment's hesitation, they all started dashing down the hallway.

Ray, taking the up the rear, was the last to pass the portal of the destroyed door and just as he did, a large chuck of rock fell from the ceiling behind him. "G-g-guys." He started to say but Sally was quick to respond.

"Just keep moving Ray! We got to get as far from here as we can, and fast!"

Saffron was able to maneuver a bit better than the others, whizzing around the falling rock and debris, and kept a keen eye for what was up ahead. Rouge tried taking flight but wasn't as small as Saffron so she quickly abandoned that option. Sally, with Nicole secured in her pack, Antoine, and Julie-su joined her on foot. Ray kept switching between running, and gliding when the opportunity was right. But regardless, he was not too confident taking the tail end, as hit nervous jitters were becoming like his own internal tremors amongst the ones taking place in the crumbling world around him.

"I see a larger room up ahead!" Saffron shouted out. Though they saved their breath, they all were thinking (and hoping) the same thing, 'get out of the tunnel and we'll be safe.'

"Just a little bit farther!" Sally shouted. Rocks continued to fall. More and more, debris was falling ahead of them too, causing them to hurdle over some of the large rocks. One simple trip would be imminent crushing.

"Gaaaahhhhh!" The last bit of the tunnel ended as the fleeing crew made it out. Hoping this next room had the support to refrain from collapse but planning in case it didn't, they kept running. A few seconds passed and they found their hopes were realized.

"One, two, three, four…" Sally mumbled as she gave a quick head count. When she was done and everyone was accounted for, she plopped down on the ground flat on her back in relief. "Well that was exciting."

"N-n-not for m-me!" Ray retorted behind chattering teeth.

"It's alright Ray." Julie-su moved over to the flying squirrel and placed her arm around his shoulders. "We're out and safe. Besides, Mighty would have probably killed us all if you didn't get out." She said with her own quirky sense of humor. But Ray has known the echidna long enough to know she had good intentions with her words and gave her a smile.

The princess nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden shouted that were coming from her pack. "Sally? Su?" She fumbled around and pulled out Nicole's handheld. The little emoticon on the screen showed quite the discontented AI. But Sally focused on the call.

"Knuckles, this is Sally, we hear ya."

"What the hell is going on! We heard a large boom and then half our path fell on our heads! We're lucking Mighty Omega and Matilda are as strong as they are otherwise we'd be pancakes right now!"

Julie-su and Ray's expression changed from the camaraderie they were sharing a moment prior to quickened panic. Rouge also held a quick spark of fear for her battle buddy.

"The blast was from us, no hostile encounters. Are you all safe?" Sally called out. Though her expression wasn't as noticeable as the others, her tone sure held the same concern.

"We are now. Only the part we were in at the time started to go down. Like I said, Omega Mighty and Matilda held up the ceiling enough for us to get out. We're all fine." Knuckles responded a little less panicked than before.

"Good to hear. Nicole, will Knuckles and the others end up getting to this room we're in?" The princess redirected her attention.

"_Oh hi Nicole. Glad to see none of the falling bricks that hit you while you were in my pack didn't hurt too bad_..." The computerized lynx mocked as she appeared in a flurry of green pixels out of the handheld device. She stood with her arms crossed and foot tapping, giving Sally one deviant glare.

"Oh. Heh, sorry." Sally answered as she awkwardly scratched behind her ear.

"Well to answer your question, unfortunately no. This room seems to be a small pocket with the sole purpose to break up the structural monotony of the tunnel we were in. Probably why this place didn't even budge during the collapse. But no, we will have to keep moving before we are able to rendezvous with Knuckles' group."

"Did you hear that Knuckles?" Sally asked.

"Yeah. It just means more digging. Keep me updated on anything. Oh and if you're going to haphazardly set off a bomb while we're in this tomb waiting to be filled, give us a fair warning will ya?"

Julie-su got nearly as red in the face as her partner's fur after that statement. Figure it would be best to look into how something like those explosives may affect the surrounding area.

"We'll keep you informed. Sally out."

"Now, unfortunately, I still only know a few of the paths and secret tunnels in this labyrinth so I'd suggest we keep moving before our 'party guest' finds us waiting around in this room." Nicole proposed.

"Oui. I prefer to have ze assassin meet us after we regroup with everyone." Antoine stated.

"Hey, computer lynx." Rouge snapped. "Any word on Shadow and those guys?"

"Like I said, Espio and them are out of my sensor range. I have been checking in on them through the radio to get their location and position. They're doing fine." Nicole answered. Sally was curious about her choice of the addressed person but let it aside. "Now, our best bet would be to head down the path to our left."

…

"Still think you're faster than me Shady?" Sonic called out as he grinded on a smaller pipe that swerved around the others in the path they were trekking down. Shadow did nothing but grunt as he whizzed down a separate pipe, his shoes giving him a further boost. Both pipes made an abrupt right angle and the two hedgehogs jumped in their signature curl. Immediately, Tails grabbed Sonic and tossed him to a group of pipes laid out next to each other making a platform wide enough for Sonic to run on them. Shadow lunged forward and grabbed a smaller pipe, twirling around it before releasing and propelling him to another pipe where he continued to grind on it.

Meanwhile, Bunnie was using her shoes to keep up with the two as Charmy held Espio by the wrists in their journey. It had pretty much been like this for the past hour or so, stopping only for a short breather every now and then.

"Not that I'm complaining, I mean I could do this all day. I'd actually prefer that. But don't we have a mission to get on with? Anyone know where we're going?"

"Ah think we're in the same boat as you suga' hog." Bunnie answered back to the hedgehog as he leaped out of his sprint and bounced between a couple pillars to land on another platform to continue his run.

"Nicole says that there is a service elevator a ways ahead. The elevator obviously isn't running but that's where those of us who can fly come it." The chameleon stated.

"Huh. I didn't hear her say that. You two on some separate channel or something?" Tails asked as he zoomed by in the air next to Sonic, ready for if he needed any aerial assistance.

"Oh, um, no? You all didn't hear that?" It wasn't like Espio to slip like that and the few times he does, it even throws himself off.

"Honestly, I'm having too much fun to care at the moment." Sonic then spun up a shaft that protruded from the ceiling, and cropped out of another one a little bit down the way.

"Half the planet is on the verge of extermination, himself included, and he's having _too much fun to care_." Bunnie shook her head as she blasted down the tunnel.

"Would you honestly expect anything else?" Tails raised his shoulders at the rabbit's comments.

"Ah guess not. My stars, you are something else Sonic."

"Can everyone hear me?" Nicole's voice once again echoed in the ears of the sextet.

"There you are Nicole! How's it going?" Sonic answered back.

"Uh, umm well other than the world about to end? What are you so chipper about?" But she quickly snapped back into focus. "Nevermind. You should be approaching a service elevator that you can use to get back up from out of that underlevel access tunnel. Once you come across it, go up the shaft two levels. I'll let you know where to go from there."

"I think I see it up ahead." Shadow pointed out as he continued to grind down one of the longer pipes. Sure enough, there was a small chute up ahead which, with anyone's guess, would be what the service elevator would look like.

They got up to it and paused. Charmy placed Espio down on the platform then immediately sat near the chameleon's feet in exhaustion. "Give me a minute before I have to carry anyone up that thing." He lay panting on the ground.

"I guess this will be a good time to take a break." Tails agreed to the worn out bee's suggestion.

Sonic peered into the elevator shaft and looked up to see rusted gears and wires protruding from the side. "Looks creepy."

"Ah'll say." Bunnie said as she too poked her head into the hollow duct. "Good thing it's only two levels up."

…

"Dirt, dirt, and OH LOOK! more dirt…" Vector called out in apparent annoyance. "Why did we get stuck as the tunnel crew."

"Consistent defiance of orders coming from scaled reptilian. Shall I take effective action?" Omega blurted out. Vector froze as he glared at the oversized robot.

"Ha! Knuckles, that's on you. You might want to watch how often you complain Vector." Mighty stated humorously.

"Aggressive bag of bolts." Vector cautiously mumbled while still standing startled by the now threatening teammate.

"Ugh. No, Omega. And yes, Vector you can shut up at any moment." The red echidna said as he was using his jagged knuckles to plow through another buried passageway.

"As much as I don't like complaining, Vector has a point. This has been pretty uneventful since we split up." Matilda coined in.

"Well I'm not for one to hang out in claustrophobic areas but this does beat a running with that creepy assassin guy. I still don't even know what he looks like!" Amy joined the conversation.

Suddenly Knuckles stopped digging for a moment. "What the…"

"Yo Red, what's wrong?" Vector asked as he began to approach the team's frontman.

"Don't move." And at his command, Vector stopped mid step. Knuckles closed his eyes and placed his hands on the wall of dirt that was in front of him. "I'm sensing something."

"Sensing? Like what? A chaos emerald?" Mighty questioned, knowing what normal things Knuckles picked up with his honing abilities.

"No nothing like that. But…" He tried to focus even more. "A different power source. Guys, we're making a detour."

"Arrgh! But Knux, we–" Vector began to say again but then heard a click from Omega as he chambered a round. "Uh, nevermind."

"Sally, this is Knuckles, come in."

"Hey hun. Sally's busy trying to bust through another locked door." Julie-su answered back on the radio in place of the field leader. "Figured we should take extra measures to NOT bomb the door this time."

"Much appreciated on this end. Anyway, I'm picking up some weird energy signals. Nothing like the Master Emerald or anything but something… out of place. We're going to investigate. Figured I'd let you all know in case it takes a bit longer for us to meet up." Knuckles explained.

"Sounds good. I'll let the princess know. And do be careful big guy."

"Of course."

"Oh, ask her how Ray's holding up!" Mighty whispered as he poked Knuckles to get his attention.

The echidna swatted away the armadillo's jabs and complied. "Oh and Mighty's wondering how Ray's doing."

"D-doing great on m-my end!" The flying squirrel could be heard stuttering through the other end of the radio.

"Alright. I'll get in touch with you all once we figure out what's going on."

"Sounds good. Su out."

…

"D'you hear that Sal?" Julie su called out.

She let out a small grunt before answering back. "Yup." Her and Nicole continued to try to break though the second high-security door they've encountered in their current running in Security Outpost 057. "Just about…." And like that the door finally unhinged from the lock and drifted open an inch or two. Her Antoine and Julie Su then pried open the heavy door so that the crew could make passage.

"And onto another room of nothing." Rouge gallingly stated as she moseyed into the room behind the large door. Again, it seemed just like one of the hundreds of vacant rooms in the semi-abandoned complex.

"I don't mind nothing." Saffron simply stated as she buzz around more near the ceiling, making a double check for anything hiding in the corners of the room.

"Except that just means we aren't getting any closer to Hook." Sally gave her two cents in a more realistic way.

"H-How much l-longer un-until…" Ray stated to ask but didn't really want to finish his own sentence.

"We have about 30 hours until the day the assassin claimed when he killed McCoy, according to Espio's report. As for when _exactly_ Hook plans to set off the bombs, it could range from 12 to 36 hours." Nicole blurted out from the handheld.

"Well that's not very comforting." Rouge stated the obvious.

"If this guy is so bent on the destruction of our species, why the hell is he waiting?" Julie du gave inquiry as the crew continued to slowly move around the room, keeping a keen eye out for anything suspicious.

"Not sure. I'd suspect it'd be some final checks or maybe even to let whatever launch system he is using to charge up or prepare." Sally deducted.

"Maybe ze energy seegnals Knuckles found 'az something to do with it." Antoine added.

"I hope. Because then we can shut this operation down before the bombs go off." The bat made another comment.

"I think I may be picking up the same energy signals Knuckles was tapping." Nicole stated before appearing again in her holo-lynx form. She had her hands on her temple with squinted eyes, trying to hone in on whatever she was detecting.

"It actually feels like…." Suddenly her eyes opened wide with epiphany, then altered again to a confused, baffled look. "Power rings."

"What?" Antoine snapped.

"Nicole, are you sure?" Sally asked for confirmation.

"I'm sure of it."

"Well then we need to hurry to find it too. Can you zero in on the signal origin?" She asked her artificial friend.

"Y–… Yes." She was a little hesitant but in the end felt confident in the answer. "And that would be a good place to meet up with Knuckles."

"Sounds good. Lead us the way then." Julie-su responded, ready to get back to the mission at hand. They only had a little more than a full day but they still didn't know where to go, how far to traverse, or even what to do when they found _whatever_ they were looking for. Time was wasting.

…

"Alright, everyone all ready to get going?" Sonic asked his group as he was stretching out his legs impatiently as everyone else was still sitting around in momentary rest.

"I think we're all good." Tails answered. He looked around the small cluster of allies as they all nodded in agreement and started to rise to their feet.

"Cool." The hedgehog started moving toward the old elevator shaft. "Guess you flyers are going to…" But he trailed off and stopped as he looked up the abandoned shaft.

"Umm, Sonic? Something wrong?" Bunnie asked, inquisitive at the hedgehog's abrupt stop and short silence. "Do you see something?" She said noticing he still was looking up the dark duct with unwavering expression.

"I…think?"

Just then, and a little hard to make out, a pair of hands descended from the opening and grabbed the blue hedgehog, hurling him up into the pipe in an instant.

"Sonic!" Tails shouted and quickly flew in after him. Following suite was the rest of the crew. Bunnie grabbed Shadow's hand and blasted up while Charmy grabbed hold of Espio and flew up the shaft as well.

They only went up one level and found themselves in a dimly lit large room. But there, a few yards away was the assassin holding Sonic in a chokehold, wielding a large knife raised above Sonic's head ready to plunge down into his neck. The blue hedgehog kept fidgeting but the grip around his neck was quite strong and with every further struggle, he could feel his reservoir of air running low.

Immediately upon seeing them, and just before the assassin threw down the knife for a killing blow, Bunnie shot a blast and knocked the knife out of the assailant's hands. Tails then flew over and ran into them, knocking Sonic out of the assassin's grasp. As quick as he could, Sonic bolted away and once he was joined side-by-side with his team, he collapsed and started coughing and gasping for air. "Th- Thanks guys."

"Get up faker. We're not done yet." Shadow quickly snapped as he watched the skilled foe of theirs run back and jump into the shadows of the surrounding area. "There's no more running from this guy."

"Everyone, get close." Espio said as the sextet backed together. Charmy floated above the other five to keep eyes on the air.

"Anyone got any grand plans? A gunshot is one thing but we won't be able to seek any medical attention if anything happens. And I don't really want it to come to that." Tails asked quietly, still focused on his span of view for any signs of their enemy.

"Distract him." Espio answered quickly.

"What?" Sonic called out.

"And how are we gonna do that sugh?" Bunnie asked the chameleon.

"Just trust me." He said, commenting on what he remembered from the encounter between McCoy and the assassin that he unintentionally witnessed. "He's fascinated by–"

But their best tip for survival was left on the tip of Espio's tongue as Charmy cut in. "Up above! Scatter!"

Immediately the group split off and the assassin landed right in the middle of where their reverse huddle was positioned just a mere second before. The darkness of the room was flashing like a strobe as the electrical batons was once again equipped as the assassin's weapon of choice. Small strands of electrical current surged in the close vicinity of the air around the baton's tips.

Known by only the few who have encountered the assassin previously and walked away, he was known to react quickly. And that he did for he took no time between the failed drop and bouncing back into action. He quickly lunged toward Espio, the first one in his sights. Swinging the batons around like child's play, Espio countered with dodges and the occasional attempt at a swing with the knives he now had in his hands. "Long time since I saw you last." The assassin choked up.

"Not as long as you think since I last saw you." Espio jeered back. Shadow then jumped in the fray and tried to blindside the opponent. But this was to no avail as he saw the attack coming.

Stopping his progressive movements toward Espio, the assassin created just enough space for Shadow to whiz by him unscathed. But he was still against four others. His head twitched slightly at the instantaneous sound of Bunnie's gloves about to fire some blasts. He leapt up in the air in avoidance and let out a swift kick to a certain bee who took this time to try and make a move on the cloaked adversary. Charmy flew back and hit a nearby support pillar.

The assassin landed from his leap and continued to bounce around Bunnie's blasts. He knew there were six but now…only four he noticed.

"Up here you fanatic gymnast!" Sonic shouted as Tails twirled around and 'threw' Sonic at the assassin. And in his signature spiny ball, he landed the first hit on the enemy. But of course, it wouldn't be that easy. The assassin quickly rebounded then bounced back at the blue hedgehog with his batons surging.

Taken only slightly off guard, the assassin barely was able to dodge a large green streak of energy that buzzed past him. Shadow stood off in the distance and prepped up another Chaos Spear. He threw his next javelin of pure energy, pressuring his foe to step back at which Espio and Bunnie were next to act.

From different angles, the assassin started getting bombarded with shots from Bunnie's gloves and throwing knives from Espio's reserve. Ably dodging Bunnie's blasts, he knew it would be harder to see Espio's knives coming at him. And it's not like his infrared goggles could do anything about it either. With tactical consideration, he turned and fled to a dark corner of the room. An eerie silence soon ensued.

"Great. Where did our friendly neighborhood murderer go?" Sonic beckoned out only semi-sarcastically as they all regrouped.

"You alright Charmy?" Espio asked as the smaller Mobian was just now slowing flying back to the scene.

"Ugh. Yeah. Just really hit that wall hard." He answered as he continued to rub the back of his head.

"Espio, didn't you say there was something we needed to do to take out this guy?" Tails interjected, keeping focus. But as if fate interdicted Espio from telling them their one chance at winning this fight, the assassin was at it again.

Tails tried to give him a quick smack of his twin tails but the assassin caught one, twisted around it, and kicked his foot back into the pit of Tails' knee making him collapse while nearly pulling out the tail at hand. Tails let out a loud shriek at the painful endeavor.

"Keep your damn hands off him!" Sonic shouted and spin dashed at the villain. The assassin jumped up and threw down one of his electric batons right onto Sonic. With the electrocution, Sonic uncoiled and seized up as the voltage still surged through his body.

"Don't worry Sonic!" Bunnie shouted while striding to the side shooting continuous bursts of energy from her gloves. The assassin bounced back. But what he didn't expect was another of Shadow's Chaos Spears. It missed him but pinned a corner of his cloak to the wall be stood by. Before any further disadvantage would fall upon him however, he withdrew a knife and cut off the part of his shroud that was stuck to the wall.

"Quit running!" Shadow shouted and tossed another green javelin. "Chaos–" then the hedgehog disappeared only to appear right next to the assassin. He was getting ready for a swift punch, "Contr-oof!" But the assassin saw the teleportation coming and tossed an elbow into the black and red hedgehog's jaw. As Shadow fell back, the overly skilled opponent moved onto his next target.

He made an assault toward Bunnie as she didn't ease up on the open fire she was dishing out. But bouncing around, left to right, up and down, the assassin was dodging nearly everyone of her shots. He came up to her and swung a punch. She blocked it with her forearm then tried to swing back. Ducking under her hook, he quickly drew out the other baton and slammed it into her swinging fist.

The electricity from the baton overloaded Bunnie's glove and started to burn the rabbit's hand underneath it. The pain from it all caused Bunnie to lapse in her defense a bit. The assassin jumped up and drove both his feet into Bunnie's chest, flinging her back into the wall.

But Espio was now quickly on the foe again. Mixing up his tactics, he had a knife in one hand and throwing stars in the other; he was ready for either close combat or distance attacks. The two acrobats continued to dance around, switching roles between the aggressor and the defender. They'd get close and move around the frantic swings of Espio's knife or the assassin's baton then they'd get some distance and hop around each other's projectiles.

Bunnie, still dazed from the attacks on her, came too and shook off the pain. She looked down at the glove the assassin fried and threw it off her hand. "Darn blasted devil broke one of my gloves." She quickly saw some of the burns already prevalent on her hand.

By now Espio was making advances in his clash with the assassin. He found an opportunity and landed a heavy kick to the other fighter's chest. He then quickly shoved the shrouded adversary all the way back and rammed him into a wall. He landed another stunning punch to the face. "Now Charmy!" He called out. The assassin looked around until he saw a large box creep out from a shelf above his head until it fell right on top of him.

Charmy arose from behind the box and shouted, "I got him!"

"Not hardly enough." Shadow said, rubbing his chin and slowly moving toward the assassin but the guy was quick to recoup and jumped back up. He hopped between the wall and a nearby support pillar then leapt to an elevated walkway. Jumping up the wall again, he made it to an even higher walkway.

Sonic slowly got up from his electrocution and eased his way toward the others. "He just won't give up."

"Look, guys! We have to get him to talk!" Espio finally shouted out.

"And what is that going to do for us?" Shadow asked, not all keen on any plan that didn't involve killing the guy.

"It distracts him! Trust me, if we start making conversations it will slow him down, damper his reflexes. We can't take him even when it's six to one. This is our best shot!"

Sonic was there watching the assassin move around the paths that lined the wall, knowing he was getting ready to attack them again at any second. "So what are we supposed to do? Ask him the weather?"

"Whatever we do, we better do it quick. It looks like he's getting ready to strike again." Tails concluded.

"You look weird running around in that blanket!" Charmy shouted out.

"Charmy that's not– no." Espio responded to the bee's attempt at 'talk'.

"Well ah'd say he did better than anyone else. Ya want to explain what kind of 'talk' yer referring to?" The tensions were starting to get high. They needed to somehow stop this character but were only taking steps backwards it seemed.

"Incoming." Shadow said as suddenly a warehouse crane suspended over the team's head started to descend upon them. They all dove out of the way as the heavy thing crashed into the ground. Riding one of the nearby chains that help up the crane was the assassin entering the arena once again.

Sonic revved up his spin dash and launched at the assassin. But he blocked the attack and Sonic bounced back, only to try once again. "You have NO weakness do you?!" The hedgehog shouted from his coil.

"Hmph. None at all." The assassin was heard under a small chuckle.

"I bet I could find one." Shadow said as appeared next to him in a green flash and threw his elbow into the crazed enemy's head. "That's for hitting me before." He slowly walked up to him and cracked his knuckles. "I have a few paybacks to give you as well. Like attacking my friends and family!" He tried to throw another punch but his target was quick to dodge once again.

"The fact that there are humans and overlanders that consider Mobians family is nothing more than disgusting." The assassin responded and jabbed his baton toward Shadow but the brooding hedgehog flipped back to avoid it.

Bunnie shot a quick blast from her only remaining glove and split the two up before he could get any closer to Shadow. Sonic again tried to spin dash toward the trained killer with a homing attack but was stopped as the assassin jumped behind a nearby crate causing Sonic to slam into that instead. "What the hell do you and Hook have against us Mobians anyway!" He shouted.

Tails jumped into the fray now by flying above and dive-bombing with a fist extended in front of him. "You all are nothing but unnatural genetic byproducts that have stolen the planet from the true dominant species!" The foe spat back to Sonic as Tails circled around for another go at him. The assassin foresaw the attack and high kicked the descending fox.

"I'm starting to get reeeaall tired of this." Shadow mumbled to himself as he was off to the side. He began rubbing his inhibitor rings in contemplation.

Meanwhile, Charmy was flying Espio overhead. He gave Espio as much of a toss as he could. The chameleon then shot out his tongue to latch to an outcropping of the wall. Swinging around and building momentum, he released and flung himself at the assassin. But again, the plot was foiled as the assassin threw up his baton and shocked Espio mid flight causing him to fall with a heavy thud.

Charmy tried to use this time to dive down, stinger first. Bunnie also saw the opportunity to take action and started firing shots again. The assassin flipped back and grabbed a piece of metal debris that came about from the collapsed crane and was able to reflect one of Bunnie's blasts at Charmy. The bee shouted and fell back as well. The assassin then tossed the piece of scrap metal at the offensive rabbit like a frisbee, nailing her in the face.

Sonic jumped with an attempt at a swift kick but the assassin too countered his attack. Ducking under Sonic's flailing leg, he then made a powerful uppercut to the side of the hedgehog's knee, bending it in a direction it was not physically meant to go. Sonic collapsed with the others, shrieking in pain.

"And that leaves one." Shadow called out. The assassin looked over to see an aura of energy surrounding the remaining target; his inhibitor rings resting on the ground near his feet.

"You think a little extra boost in energy will defeat me? We've quarreled before. I know how you fight. I know how to come out on top." The assassin calmly said with his scratchy voice.

"But you don't know what I am capable of without anything holding me back. And you especially don't know how far I will go to defend the ones I love." The hedgehog took a few steps forward.

"For someone as cynical as you seem, it's weird for you to mention love."

"For someone fighting to kill off a bunch of innocent people, it's weird for you to make judgment about views on love." Shadow immediately spat back.

"I don't need **anyone** of_your_ kind to make statements about morals and ethics." Without a further second of prolongation, the assassin leapt forward and clashed with Shadow head on. Fist to fist, the two set off. The assassin would punch, Shadow would dodge. Shadow would kick, the assassin would evade.

Shadow quickly whipped up a Chaos Spear and jabbed it forward but the assassin sidestepped and gave the hedgehog a hefty punch to the gut. The spear disintegrated but Shadow wasn't finish. He bent down and swung his leg around his sparring partner's feet and tripped him. Another Chaos Spear materialized in his hands and he raised it above his head, ready to drive it into the assassin lying flat on his back. As he made the motion, the killer rolled to the side and the spear slammed into the concrete ground causing a few decent sized cracks to propagate.

The assassin hopped up and swung his leg around, giving Shadow a swift kick to the head. "You see, even with your added abilities, you are still nothing more than a weakling deserving nothing more than the death that is so immanent for you and your kind."

Shadow slowly got up to his feet. "You know I used to be just like you."

"Don't compare yourself to me." The assassin spat in repulsion. But Shadow just continued.

"I used to think everyone on this miserable planet was only meant to cause pain. I thought the only thing anyone truly deserved was the eternal justice that came with death." He got up and swung at the assassin but expecting him to make another evasion, he planned ahead and shifted his momentum from his moving arm by twisting his body and pulling up his back foot in a kick. It was a success and the assassin was thrown back a bit. "But then I came to my senses. And I ask you one thing before I end your wretched life…"

But back on his feet, the assassin threw himself at the empowered hedgehog. Shadow was tossed back with the pounce. The assassin was resting on Shadow with a dominant position and wildly threw fists, left then right, left then right, into Shadow's face. "You don't need to ask me anything!"

Shadow bucked forward and snapped his right leg out from underneath his grappler then squirmed again to free his other leg. He wrapped his legs around the assassin's waist and reversed the dominance. He drew his arm back and gave a powerful strike to the face of his opponent. The hit threw his head back into the hard concrete behind him. Shadow could tell he likely broke the foe's nose. "If that's what you think then I'll save my breath."

He got up off the assassin. The assassin backed away slightly. "This is impossible." He grumbled.

"Aww, upset you can't defeat the ultimate lifeform?"

"You are a sad excuse for any form of life!" The assassin again jumped up at Shadow. He continued pushing him back until he rammed him into a wall. A few heavy boxes from the above shelves fell on the two. The assassin began ramming Shadow into the wall continuously, back and forth. He stopped and for the first time in their encounter was showing something other than his calm collected instinctive demeanor. His heavy breathing and angry huffs were starting to become noticeable.

"Well I guess the chameleon was right. No wonder I've started to get the upper hand." Shadow sneered, toying with his enemy. He was then again pulled back and slammed into the wall but this time he curled up his legs as close to his chest as he could then used the wall to steady himself and extended his legs applying a kick with major force.

The assassin was thrown off the hedgehog and staggered to steady himself. "Even if you win here, it will be for naught. A good few hours and you'll all perish!"

Shadow slowly advanced toward the assassin. "Remember what I've said? You've seen up until now what I am capable without any restraints. But you have yet to see what I am capable in order to protect the ones I love. You attacked the remains of my shattered family. You've threatened to destroy others that I gave a dying promise to protect." He was right in front of the assassin now. If there were eyes and face not masked by the gear and garments, Shadow would be staring into the adversary's soul.

The assassin quickly lunged his arm forward with a concealed knife in hand but it stopped before even making contact with the dark hedgehog. "What?"

"Hmph." Shadow looked down and saw the weapon broken, handling in the assailant's hand, blade on the ground. "And to think this whole time I've been charging up."

"No…"

"If you would have asked yourself if what you were doing was right. At least once in this whole affair, then maybe this could have been averted." And with that statement, Shadow began to glow a fiery red. His eyes turned white and the energy surrounding him was causing small tremors. "Chaos Blast!" And like that, the pent up energy he was storing and charging was released like an explosion. The assassin flew limply across the room and when he hit the ground, he did nothing but slide across the floor with no bodily reaction.

The aura of energy encompassing Shadow dissipated. He walked over to the inhibitor rings he left on the ground and snapped them back on. The sudden blast of energy must have caused the knocked out members of his team to slowly come to consciousness as one by one they came to in the coming couple minutes.

They all gathered and conversed on what happened, piecing in what they last remember while listening in to Shadow's simple synopsis of 'you all couldn't handle him so I killed him.' They moved over to the motionless assassin.

Espio reached down and found his neck, checking for a pulse. "He's gone." He said a bit solemnly. Even with Shadow as the occasional wild card, it wasn't their job to kill, it was their job to prevent killings. But sometimes you have to do what you have to do. He slowly and hesitantly peeled back the shroud that was covering the assassin's face and pulled off the goggles covering his eyes; the final question in their minds of who was this very skilled lethal opponent.

What was revealed was a young boy. His skin was thick and smooth. With the exception of the blood trail from his nose and down his chin, he looked peaceful, well-kept, even innocent. "Oh mah stars… He's just a boy." Bunnie said behind a cusped hand. The boy couldn't have been older than 16 at the very latest. As strange as it was, the majority of them felt pity for the young lad.

_"_You… you unpalatable mongrels! What have you done? What have you done to my dear Gregory?!" Hook's words arose from unseen speakers and echoed through the large and presently silent room.

* * *

><p>btw, that was nearly a 4000 word fight sequence o_O<p> 


	29. Still a Need for Heroes: Days of Fury

**Author's Note:**

Let me first sincerely apologize and graciously thank you all. I made a promise to get this final chapter out before the end of summer and I failed. I could make excuses but the fact still stands. And for that I appreciate you all sticking through for the long run. This has definitely been the longest writing project I've ever endured and it has given me great practice and improvement over the past two and a half years since I started. Well over 180,000 words, I think it is safe to say I have completed my first novel. Just one step further in my progression of publishing a few books I have ideas for - with that being said PLEASE take half a second to vote on the poll on my profile. It will help a lot.

I don't mean to ramble as I tend to do so I present to you, the final installment to "Still A Need For Heroes". Let me know what you all think and forever and always,

Read, Review, and ENJOY!

* * *

><p><span>Still a Need for Heroes<span>

Chapter 29: Still a Need for Heroes:

Part 3: Days of Fury

_"_You… you unpalatable mongrels! What have you done? What have you done to my dear Gregory?!" Hook's words arose from unseen speakers and echoed through the large and presently silent room. The group turned and looked up toward the rafters as if they'd find the man there himself. "My dear son…" He said with devastation in his voice.

"The kid was your son?" Sonic asked, being one of the many who had no idea.

"You're even more of a sick bastard than I thought if you put your own son to all this." Shadow sneered.

"I would have never put him up to any of this if it was not his choice to do so." The stuttering and sniveling in his voice only spoke of sincerity. Some of the more sympathetic members of the group felt small pangs of pity. A sniffle was even heard from Bunnie. "After I took him in, he begged me to help avenge his biological family after you _animals_ killed them with your unnatural legionizing and deadly Eggman conflicts…" But the man's tone suddenly changed. "Why am I consoling in grievance with you monsters?! Perish! Perish in the uprising fires!" A few background noises were heard that must have been coming from Hook's end as he hadn't stopped whatever sound system he was using to communicate. "Gregory… I loved you as my own." He was heard mumbling. "I'll miss you."

But whether there was more under-the-breath confessions from Hook, the troupe wouldn't know because just then three of the outlying doors to their currently location flung open and an army of E-100 series appeared.

"Out of the frying pan," Tails quirked.

"And into the fire." Bunnie finished the old saying as they gathered up and got ready for round two.

…

"Espio? Espio, come in…" Nicole continued to try to reach the chameleon. Her tone held a little bit of distress.

"Still no word from them Nicole?" Sally asked. Her facial expression however said more than her words as she was starting to really question Nicole's connection with Espio. It couldn't be by chance she seemed to only try and address to him and not anyone else.

"Unfortunately no. I hope they're alright. I haven't heard from him since they made it to that service elevator."

"I'm sure they're fine. They have some of our best fighters with them." Saffron comforted as she too had concern.

"I hope." Nicole mumbled, to which brought only more curiosity to Sally.

"They're fine." Rouge blurted out in confident annoyance. "Now can we get back to the task at hand? How much further until we get to this energy source?"

"Huh? Oh. I'm sensing the signal is getting stronger which means we are on the right track, but since I do not know the total amplitude of the energy output I'm picking up, for all I can configure it could be either right around the corner or another long trek away." The lynx said as she was projected in front of the group as they continued to walk down a long corridor. "On the plus side, I haven't picked up anything that could bring about immediate dan–"

"Great." Julie-su huffed, figuring what was up next. "What's with the pause." She demanded with a simultaneous rolling of her eyes.

"Brace yourselves. We have company." Nicole squinted as she peered ahead of the group down a long hallway.

"Company. I don't suppose ze are ze 'coffee and crumpets' kind, non?" Antoine said jokingly as he was drawing out his sword. Immediately, a barrage of assaulting fire came from the hallway. The groups dove to the sides to find whatever cover they could hide behind.

"G-g-guess not." Ray said as he and Antoine were stuck behind a crate together.

"Nicole, what kind of foe are we looking at?" Sally called out. The cybernetic lynx was standing in the middle of the hallway, the bullets zooming by, and through, her artificial body.

"I can't tell, it seems–" but she was cut off as an explosion sounded right in their vicinity. The floor began to crumble and the crew fell down below.

With shouts and cries, they landed what seemed like a couple stories below in another chamber. The unstable structural rigidity of the complex was not proving itself in good light in the eyes of this team.

"Grrr." Rouge grumbled as she threw off a few pieces of debris from her chest as she lie in a bed of rock and dirt. "Damn it echidna girl, you didn't let off your other bomb did you?!" She shouted.

Julie- su groaned similarly as she moved and stretched out her contorted body after the fall. She reached back and grabbed the bombs out of her pack that got loose and landed next to here. "Nope." She moaned, swaying them over her head showing they were still intact.

"Could we have just hit another weak spot in the complex?" Saffron proposed as she was fluttering about, obviously not as shaken up by the collapsing floor as her land restricted counterparts.

"More than likely." Sally agreed. She was already on her feet and was brushing off her vest. She looked above and could still see the corridor they were previously in a couple tens of feet above being lit up with the flashes of gun fire. "We should probably keep moving before whatever it was up there firing at us realizes we aren't up there anymore."

"Not to assume it was _worth_ it, but I think our little stumble brought us closer to our destination. I can feel a stronger surge of residual energy down here." Nicole stated as she too was already up and ready to move on.

"Then let us go." Antoine complied as he helped Ray up off the ground.

…

"We're getting closer guys." Knuckles said as his crew continued to move down an old mineshaft-like tunnel.

"Knux, you said that at least five times now." Vector scolded.

"Well at least you know we're not losing the signal." Knuckles snapped back. "We still haven't been able to get in touch with Sally Su and the others have we?"

"Not since last time no. I think we're out of range for our simple radios." Mighty said.

"I don't get it, sometimes we're in range, sometimes we're not. Yet sometimes we're in range but we still can't get in touch." Amy complained.

"It's likely there are some disturbances in this facility. It's clear many of these tunnels weren't meant to be here originally. We could be getting interference with things in the ground or foundation which could be mixing things up." Matilda answered quite logically.

"Well that'd explain a lot." Vector spat again.

"It doesn't matter," Knuckles said as they kept walking; Omega's floodlights illuminating their darkened path, "we can reach up with them after we get to this energy source. We probably only have a few more hours to do so anyway." As the echidna's words suck in, so did the sinister truth behind it. For all they knew, they could parish within a couple of hours. This gave the nagging and demotivated spirits reason to depart.

"Come on guys, let's keep moving." Vector encouraged to much surprise from the others.

"Quiet." Knuckles ordered as he froze in his footsteps. Everyone listened without question. Their eyes shifted around the dark tunnel as if their hearing would improve if their eyes were fixated on certain spots.

After a short while of silence, Amy spoke up. "Knuckles, I don't hear anything."

"Hmph." He grumbled. "I do. And I know exactly what it is." He moved over to a nearby wall and placed his ear to it. Not long after, he backed away. "Omega, think you can make a hole here? Nothing too deep. Just enough to break the surface."

"I will comply." He moved over to the wall and his metallic hand withdrew into his forearm and replacing it was a small drill. He trusted it into the wall and the drill began to spin rapidly, creating a squealing on the occasion it would scrape by a rock or other hard surface. After a short while, a loud 'clank' was heard. Omega paused for a moment before withdrawing the drill from its new found hole in the tunnel wall. "Obstruction." Knuckles moved up to it, brushed off some residual dirt and muck and there before him was a long pipe. A small smile formed on his face.

"What'd ya find?" Vector asked.

"We had these in the chaos chamber before Finitevus tore the place up and scattered the Brotherhood. They're high powered energy siphons. These will lead us straight to the source of whatever energy source I'm sensing!" He explained. "Make finding the thing quicker than relying on me picking up energy spikes at least. Omega, will it be possible for you to somehow dig the wall away along these pipes so we can follow them?"

"Analyzing." He answered then about half a second later he reached out with his hand, now replacing the drill that was once present, and clamped onto the pipeline he uncovered. He began to forcibly walk forward, causing his arm to pry away any dirt and rock between the pipeline and the tunnel wall. The group followed him down the path.

A good number of yards later however, Omega began walking toward another wall. "The energy siphon pipelines continue into the wall."

"Well that didn't last long.." Vector grumbled.

Amy let out a sigh. "Ugh… more digging?"

"Unfortunately. Let's get to it gang. The clock ain't going to stop no matter how much we complain." Knuckles answered as he was first to dig his knuckles into the dirt.

…

"Tails! To your left!" Sonic shouted as he kick flipped into the air. He zoomed forward in a small blue ball and slammed into one of the assaulting robots.

Reacting to the call, the fox jumped back just in time to dodge the barrel of one of the E-100 cannon/arms as it smashed down into the ground in an attempt to turn Tails into a mark on the ground. Quickly, he took to the skies and divebombed onto the robot, leaving a nasty dent in the central computing system of the robot (vulnerably locating in the robot's 'head').

The group was scrambling and scattering. Shouts from Shadow and his chaos attacks were mingled in amongst the constant gun fire. Metallic clings and clanks were heard as Espio tossed around his knives and stars. Bunnie's blasts over powered the sound of the E-100's guns on the occasions she made her shots. And the buzzing of Charmy was distant over head as he'd find debris to drop onto the enemies below.

"I hope they're having as much fun as we are." Sonic chanted as he left hole in the torso of another foe.

"We need to get in touch with the others. We don't know where to go to next without any direction." Tails noted.

"No time to chitchat until we take out these guys first." Shadow growled as he flung another blast of chaos energy through the enemy he was quarrelling with at the time.

"Why not double task?" Tails asked hypothetically. "Who has the radio?" He called out.

Sonic was flipping from one machine to the next, toying with his simple-programmed enemy. One would release open fire on the hedgehog as he bounced from one robot to another, effectively causing friendly-fire on his enemy's end to do half the work for him. "I had it." He said before bouncing to another robot. "But dropped it when kid-assassin tried to do me in."

"I've got one." Espio shouted out and tossed it to Tails. Tails was able to catch the device even in his surprise that Espio had a second radio. But he brushed it aside and continued with his plan.

"Charmy! Catch!" He threw the small piece in the air. The bee swooped down and snatched it. "Get in touch with Sally! Let them know of our situation. We need to know which way to go. I don't think these E-100's will ever stop coming."

Charmy nodded and radioed in from high above the fray that was taking place on the ground below him.

"Espio!" He heard Nicole shout from the other end.

"No Charmy." He answered nonchalantly. "Listen, we're alright on our end. The others are fighting off waves of these robots but we don't know where to go next."

"Are you still at that service elevator?" The lynx on the other end asked seeing as as far as she knew, that was where they were last even if it was a good while ago.

"Well you see, that assassin guy pulled Sonic up and–"

"What?!" Charmy had to pull the radio away from him for a moment at Sally's shout.

"No, no, don't worry! We're all safe. Shadow killed the assassin guy." A faint 'That'a boy!' from Rouge was heard in the background on the other end. "Yeah, apparently he was Hook's son or something? Anyway we'll fill you in with that later." The bee said a bit childishly. "Do we have a meeting place or…" He looked down at the fighting below. "…an escape route?"

Nicole, on the other end, forgot to mention the change in plans to them. They had no clue about the energy source. For all she knew, they could be on opposite sides of the complex. Her only solace was that they must be close enough to be able to radio in, but even that wasn't any help.

"Umm, you may just have to find your way until I can get a clear depiction of your location based on what little schematics I have of this place. We're investigating our own lead over here." She answered to the dismay of Charmy and the other fighters. Where were they supposed to go to? Surely they couldn't fight off those robots forever. "Get back in touch once you get away from the robots you said you were handling."

Charmy let out a sigh. "You got it." He clicked off the radio and flew back down to the others.

"No hope just yet guys!" He shouted, dodging some stray fire. "We need to find a safer place before figuring out what way to go."

"Great." Bunnie exasperated as she hovered over a few E-100s, shooting them down from above. "If we're gonna be playing a game of cat and mouse, I at least like to be the cat."

"I feel ya Bunnie!" Sonic shouted.

"We can't win them all." Tails stated. "Let's try and shake these tin cans."

…

Sally and her group had been travelling down their new path for quite some time. Not that they were looking for hostilities, but some of the more high-action members of that team were getting quite bored of their situation. They understood that they needed to keep moving though. Not stopping for anything, though moving with caution for any further surprises, time was still a large factor in whether a majority of the world's population would live to see another day. The thought constantly loomed in the back of their minds.

But after at least another hour of navigating down the dark and dank passageways, Nicole finally broke the stagnant situation. "Sally."

"Yes Nicole?" The princess stated as the lynx appeared next to her, walking forward with the crew as if she was always doing so.

"I- uh… Well I need to tell you something but…" She said quite softly then turned back and glanced at the others. They couldn't hear her. "But I don't think this is the right time."

Sally's first reaction was to give her a questioning stare, maybe this was something to do with her suspicion between the A.I. and Espio. But when it came to her friends, let alone her best friend, she always tended to be a bit more sympathetic. "Nicole, you can tell me anything. Any time or place."

"Well, that's the thing… there might not be another time… Well not for you." She then mumbled under her own breath. "Or him…"

Sally wrapped her arm across Nicole's shoulder and pulled her close. "Girl, I would travel to the ends of Mobius to help you out, just like you are doing for us right now." She gave her friend her signature honest and reassuring smile that she was quite capable of doing to those who needed it. "Nothing you say will change that."

Nicole tucked her head down and blushed a bit. She gave a small shy smile. "Okay." She took a deep breath, ready to confess whatever it was she needed to say when suddenly her ears perked up and stopped in her tracks.

Sally noticed this and stopped with her. She scanned her expression and could tell something was up. "Nicole? Something wrong?"

"Guys, we need to move." She simply stated.

"We have been moving. And if you ask me, to quite the uneventful beat." Julie-su called out.

"Nicole. What's wrong." Sally demanded.

"I've just picked up a large spike in the power ring energy. Something… not normal compared to what I was just picking up." The lynx explained. "I'm afraid Hook may be getting ready for the final preparations for the Reverse Gene Bombs."

"Good enough reason for me to kick it into higher gear." Rouge stated.

"Y-yeah. Me t-too."

And like that, they took off running; no time to stay cautious around the corners. They didn't go far until they ran through one last large gateway and into another mausoleum like room. Standing in front of them was a gargantuan structure that resembled an old-time energy reactor. Strands of high voltage electricity were flinging from the center monolith-like generator to outstanding prongs with sounds of loud cracks and buzzes. The centerpiece to it all was encompassed by a large barrier of what seemed like raw energy.

"Nicole, think you can tell me what that thing?" Sally asked as her, like the others, were frozen starring up at the piece in awe.

"I need to get connected to the system. Find a port and hook me up." She responded then disappeared into her handheld. Sally ran over to a switchboard on a nearby wall and plugged the handheld into an open access port. "It seems this was the energy source I was picking up." The lynx's voice now sounded through speakers that had been previously established around the large room. "As I analyzed, it is running of power ring energy. The center structure in the middle is the focal point of the generator. Unfortunately it is protected by a barrier. I'm trying but… I can't seem to shut it down. The barrier is controlled by reactors outside this central system. If we can get access to those reactors and shut them down…"

"Sounds like a plan." Sally concluded.

"The only thing that bugs me, is how was Hook able to get his hands on power ring energy?" Nicole added.

"I see you infernal creatures stumbled upon my little power source for my whole operation." Nicole's voice over the speakers was replaced by that of Hook's. "A little gift from the Kingdom of Acorn. Unfortunately, it was my acquisition of this fuel that caused you pups to get on my trail. Who knew that two-tailed mutant and tusk-faced blubber of a councilor were so smart. I have to say, for being disgusting little things, your kind sure are persistent."

"It was _you_ that shut down the fuel line while we were inspecting that reactor in the mountain faction!" Sally stated in revelation.

"Ah yes. The tampering of the reactor was intended just to grab the attention so the investigative party would be the ones to blame for the fuel shutdown that occurred later. Unfortunately I didn't think Freedom Fighters would be sent for such a mundane task. My 'sampling' of the fuel was just enough for me to copy it and produce power ring energy of my own. But I digress… as it's too late for you and your petty little squads. That bastardly crew comprised of that insufferable dark hedgehog may have taken out…" A sniffle was heard for some reason unknown to the listeners. "Taken out my son." He continued. "But I will do you all in. If not in only an hour or two, but sooner so that you don't further impede my efforts!" He shouted with rage; a bit offset from what this group was used to hearing from such a normally calm and collected character such as Hook.

Just then, what sounded like large doors from the upper levels of the large room slammed open. A shout was heard from Nicole as she appeared out of the panel on the wall that Sally and the handheld were still next to and plugged into. "Nicole!" Sally shouted.

"Sally, unplug me. Now!" And just as quickly, she complied.

"It seems we 'ave aggressors." Antoine called out as the visual forms appeared of numerous flying robots, similar yet slightly different than the flood of airborne hostiles encountered when they first accessed Security Outpost 057 on this excursion.

"Let's get ready people." Rouge stated as they all got ready. The flying bots dive bombed on the crew. Antoine Rouge and Julie-su dove aside in aversion while Saffron and Ray took to the air.

Sally and Nicole were still over near the wall. "Sally." Nicole sounded pretty weak.

"Nicole, what happened?"

"Some kind of aggressive firewall. I'm fine." She said with a tone that signified that she shook off the defensive attack. "I was able to gain access to the locations of the external reactors holding up that barrier. We need to take them out to get to the central component. If we take out this big energy source, we may be able to stop the bombs from going off."

Without a second's hesitation, Sally gave the order. "Then let's get to it."

"I'm picking up Knuckles' radio signal. They seem to be getting close. I should be able to direct them him and the others to the reactors. I'll let them know that's the plan." She explained as the others were still bouncing around in the back ground, taking on the flying foes.

"Great work. Any word on Sonic and the others?"

"…" Nicole remained silent. "Unfortunately no. I'll try to reach them too but… I can only hope they are alright."

Sally let out a sigh. "That's all we can do at this point." Then she too sprang into action to help out her battle buddies.

…

"Knuckles, come in." The echidna stopped as the rest of the crew continued to slowly follow Omega as he plowed through still attached to the pipeline.

"I hear ya Nicole." He responded.

"We've come across the source of a large flux of energy. Everyone else is pretty occupied at the moment; I'm communicating through the handheld at the moment." She began to explain. "Hook is initiating the final procedures of the Reverse Gene Bombs. He pumped up this generator and–"

Knuckles cut in a mumbled, "Yeah, I felt that." as Nicole continued.

"is getting ready to set off the bombs in an hour or two."

"That fast!?" He said in shock and fret.

"I'm afraid so. We have a plan though. There are a few reactors outside this central system. I have their locations and you are in close enough proximity for me to track your signal and lead you to those reactors. We need you and your group to take them out." The lynx could be heard through the COM link.

"Lead us to them Nicole. Looks like we need to move double time." He answered back.

Nicole directed the group on which directions to go. The pipeline they were following had different juts and branches, as they had found out, but Knuckles always pointed them to the energy he was picking up which came from the large reactor Sally and the others found. This time however, Nicole was leading the way and this often meant following the pipeline's branches rather than the trunk itself.

Occasionally taking the time to dig a new path, Knuckles and the other heavy hitters made it to their first destination. "The reactor should be directly above you." Nicole told them. "That's as much as I can do at the moment. Give me a call once you take it out, I'll help you to the next one. In the mean time, I need to help monitor things on my end. Nicole out."

"Alright guys, you heard the gal." Knuckles ordered. "Mighty, Matilda – grab those posts over there." He tossed his index finger toward a few beams that were quite the common occurrence in their excavating. "We need to make sure this place is pretty stable before we starting making a hole in the ceiling here." The two siblings followed orders and did so. Meanwhile, Knuckles was poking around the ceiling. Not too long after, he and Omega began to make their entry point.

With little effort, they managed to create an access to the reactor room. If there were anyone around to see it, it may have appeared quite comical to see an assortment of mobian heads pop up from a new found hole in the ground. But nonetheless, they climbed out of the hole and got to scoping about.

What they saw was similar to what Sally Nicole Antoine Ray Julie-su and Rouge had encountered except on a much smaller scale. It was not as large but it still stood taller than anyone in the crew. There was a central piece and outward posts but there were no flashes of stray electricity that snapped between the two.

"Well. Let's get this over with." Vector said stepping forward toward the reactor. Suddenly an ear piercing alarm sounded. The unsuspecting croc must have stepped into a monitored proximity. With the alarm still sounding, a few defense armaments arose from the dark corners of the ill-lit room. With the flashes of incoming fire creating a strobe effect, the group scattered to evade.

Without any words, the team knew they had to take out any and all kinds of defenses before they could even think about how to sabotage the reactors. Amy, of course, knew a good few smacks with her Piko Hammer should do the trick. The hard part would be getting close enough. Flipping and jumping, and the occasional spin dash (which she still was not too good at), she tried to get close.

Mighty and Matilda decided to use their own special ability and tired to throw whatever heavy object were lying around at the opposing weaponry while Omega was retaliating with his own gunfire.

Knuckles and Vector decided their best bet was to do what they did best as well: punch their way through. But like Amy, this meant getting close to the guns which was the challenging part. They all were quite accustomed to maneuvering around incoming fire (they had been doing it with Eggman's robots for years) so evasion wasn't too much of a task. But they wouldn't be able to get close just on their own.

"Mighty, Matilda! Rendezvous! I have an idea!" Knuckles shouted. The two armadillos nodded in agreement, tossed at the artillery whatever was occupying their hands at the time, and met with Knuckles and Vector behind a heavy metallic crate they were using for cover.

A loud 'bang' sounded. "One defensive shooter taken out." Omega confirmed.

"Keep it up big guy!" Vector shouted out from the crate as Knuckles began to delve into his plan.

"We need you guys to help me and Vector get close to some of the guns. Omega can take them out from a distance but we need to get close. I'm figuring there are other objects lying around that would bring enough cover as this crate here." He threw a thumb behind his back at the large box that was taking quite the hit for the four.

"So you need a shield?" Mighty asked.

"In a way." The echidna answered with a grin.

Another crash was heard as Omega confirmed a second gun taken down. "Ideal usage of ammunition per cannon is becoming too high. Need assistance in destroying further hostile sentries."

At this time, Amy was able to maneuver close enough to take one hefty swing with her hammer to knock out another one.

"We're on our way Omega!" Knuckles shouted as the echidna and his crocodile partner was seen straddling to two separate large metal crates. Mighty and Matilda then picked up the large crates and took aim at the heavy gunners. With Knuckles and Vector clinging to a side of the crates not facing the open fire, the crates were tossed into the open air with ease. They smashed into their targets as the two riders leapt off. The guns were still firing despite the heavy hit but that's where the two passengers came in. Knuckles clung to the supports of the mounted gun and began bashing it with his name-sake fists. Vector was mounted similarly yet instead of punching the thing, he began gnawing at the cords and outlying pieces.

Within a short time, the final guns were taken down. Knuckles and Vector leapt down and landed to regroup with the others. "As much as I like breaking the bad guys, or bad guns…" The crocodile stated as he turned and glared at the dismantled artillery cannon lying on the ground. "I'm not one to fly wildly into open fire. Can we not do that again?"

"Depends." Knuckles ensured humorously.

"Well now that we got the defenses out of the way…" Amy stated focusing at the job at hand.

"Let's take out that reactor." Matilda finished her statement.

Without the defensive precautions, the reactor was quite simple to take out. A well-placed miniature mine from Omega's arsenal and a smack with Amy's hammer and the thing went up in flames. "Nicole, we got this reactor out."

"Great! I'll lead you all to the next one." She answered back.

…

"Alright, seal the door!" Bunnie shouted as the rest of her group went to work. Just as she ordered, a large security door slammed shut on the hoard of E-100s that were mindlessly marching their way to this group of heroes.

Finally, a breath of relief from going straight from fending off a deadly assassin, to fighting what seemed like an endless wave of hostile robots whose sole purpose was your death. The moment of peace even caused Charmy to collapse to the ground to regain at least a bit of energy that was drained from the constant adrenaline.

"Damn. It's about time." Shadow stated a little too loudly. Truth was, he was quite exhausted. Expelling so much energy during his fight with the assassin then jumping right back into the fray took its toll on even the ultimate of lifeforms. But of course he was not the one to let that show, especially in the face of one of his greatest rivals.

"I'll say." Sonic added, plopping down with no shame in showing his fatigue.

"Unfortunately, we need to keep moving. This was all just so we can get in touch with the others remember? We need to regroup. I have no idea how much time has elapsed but we have got to be getting close to the deadline our species has been issued." Tails pulled out as the voice of reason with a grim reminder of their approaching demise.

"He's right." Espio agreed. He stepped away from the group to get in touch with Nicole seeing as he was the only one with a radio now. Sonic was heard somewhat jokingly in a slight mumble in the distance, 'I still don't know how he had a second radio. Crazy ninjas.' Espio brushed it off; knowing Sonic for a number of years now, he knew it was just his personality. "Nicole, come in Nicole."

"Espio! Are you alright?" She answered back.

The chameleon couldn't fight the smile that came to his face. "We're fine. We've been through quite the succeeding events but we're all in one piece. More importantly, we need to get back together with you and your group."

On the other end of the radio link, Nicole was still communicating via her handheld as Sally, Antoine, Ray, Rouge, Saffron, and Julie-su were fighting off their flying menace. "Right." She said realizing the situation at hand. "I'm zeroing in on your location now…. You actually aren't too far. It may take a short bit to get here but assuming you don't run into any further aggressors, you should arrive relatively quickly. We've come across the central energy supply for Hook's Reverse Gene Bombs." The lynx explained. "We're looking to take it out before the bombs go off but we need all the help we can get."

"We'll get there as quick as we can." Espio ensured.

"I hope so." Nicole stopped for a moment. "Espio." She cooed over the COM link. "If we don't take care of these things in time…"

"Nicole, we'll be fine."

"… I don't want to have to continue living knowing you won't be here anymore. You, or Sally, or Sonic…"

It was a devastating time for the lynx as something was overlooked by her authentically living lover. Whether they succeeded or not, the lynx would live on. She was as much Mobian as her counterparts with the exception of truly being Mobian. She went into Security Outpost 057 with the willing knowledge that if they did not succeed in defeating Hook and his Reverse Gene Bombs, she would likely remain there in the complex, alone, for the rest of eternity. All her friends would be gone. The overlanders that would now be the only sentient beings on the planet would not come retrieve her. She would remain in desolation and solidarity until her data was expelled into the void after what could be thousands of years after her handheld died out. That kind of torture is something no being, real or artificial, would want to succumb to.

"Oh Nicole…" Espio answered back. But his sorrow was quickly replaced with optimism. "I promise, it won't come to that. We'll regroup and fix this problem. Just lead us to you and the others."

If Nicole was in her holographic state, she would have smiled and blushed in comfort. "Thanks." She then proceeded to tell the chameleon which way to go.

…

"Sally." The lynx called out from the handheld stored in Sally's vest pocket.

"I hear ya girl. What's up." Sally answered aloud as she had no means to reach into her pocket and speak directly into the handheld.

"I've gotten in touch with Espio. They're all alright." The handheld answered back loudly. "I've directed them to our location. It shouldn't be long before they arrive."

"Great." Sally answered. She proceeded to take a flip before moving behind some cover. She leapt up and was able to grab onto one of the flying assailants. Her weight was enough to drag it down. Once on the ground, she grabbed a nearby tool and continued to smash the hostile into pieces. She then continued. "Nicole, as a friend, we need to talk after we take care of these flying nuisances. You keep talking solely about Espio. Is something going on?" She asked not expecting a response.

Nicole was silent for a short bit. "We will talk once we find a chance."

The Acorn Princess and the others continued to fight off their attacking force. Antoine, with his ever-so-sharp saber was able to slice any incoming bogies with ease. He'd often jump up onto higher leveled objects to reach them as they'd swoop down for their attacks. Julie-su, being quite the shot, was able to pick them out. Rouge Ray and Saffron were able to fly about and destroy them through the air when given the chance and Sally held her own when needed.

Their only issue was the sheer numbers. But low and behold, the group of skilled fighters and acrobats were able to take out the large number of them in due time. There were only a few tens of enemies left at this point when suddenly, a large crash was heard. The central barrier around the energy source began to dissipate. Alongside this, the remaining flying foes malfunctioned and crashed to the ground from where they were flying. The reactors must have had a greater impact on the remote functionality of devices in the outpost.

The ones surrounding the energy source stood in awe for the instant of it all. It surely was not what they were expecting. They may be able to save the Mobian race after all. "Nicole. Analyze." Sally ordered.

"What you see is what you're getting Sal." Nicole explained out loud so that everyone could hear them. "It seems Knuckles and the others were able to take out those reactors. And even to my surprise, the reactors must have held control over those flying robots."

"Well that's good." Rouge stated blatantly.

"Umm… Sally?" Nicole said on a volume level that only she could hear.

"Nicole? What's up with you and always only referring to Espio?" Sally cut in out of the blue. It was not like Sally's character to converse about such things in such a dire time but she was near confident it was related to what Nicole wanted to talk about previously. And if she knew her close friend, she would like to discuss what was irritating her before she may not get the chance to do so.

"Okay…" Nicole took a moment of silence to bring up her confidence. "Espio and I have been… 'seeing' each other for a number of years now."

"What?!" Sally shouted.

"Something wrong Sally?" Julie-su asked with regard to the princess' sudden outburst.

"N-nothing." Sally said dismissing the third party. She then began to speak quieter. "Nicole. You and Espio?"

"Yes. We've decided to keep it secret seeing as, well… I'm artificial." The cybernetic lynx sounded quite belittled.

"Nicole." Sally said with such a comforting tone. "I'm happy for you. You are more real than anyone I know. This is nothing to be ashamed of. You have evolved into everything a 'real' Mobian is. You deserve nothing less than to feel affection for another and to receive it nonetheless."

"Sally, I–" But Nicole stopped as she couldn't hold her emotions anymore. "I'm just so scared. I don't want to have to carry on without any of you." It sounded like she was crying.

"Nicole, don't cry." The sadness was contagious as Sally began to feel for her best friend. "We'll get through this. We…we just have to keep pushing."

"You're right." The lynx let out one last automated sniffle then stiffened up. "We need to keep pushing."

But the heartfelt moment as abruptly interrupted as a loud banging sounded from a door that had remained sealed.

"Brace yourselves guys!" Rouge shouted out as the crew got ready for another assault.

Another bang on the door. A third bang and this time, an accompanied dent was visible. The fists of the fighters were clenching with fierce force. A fourth bang as the bolts on the side of the door loosened. Finally, with one last smack, the door flung open. As the doors crashed down, who else was visible than the large allied robot Omega accompanied by Knuckles Vector Amy and the sibling armadillos.

"Are we late?" Knuckles called out. Julie-su ran up and greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.

"About damn time you got here bub." She poked.

"Omega, glad to see you're still in one piece." Rouge said with her own sentiments.

"Likewise Rouge." The large robot answered back.

"Bro! Sis!" Ray shouted as he too rejoined with his family.

"I hate to break it to you all but I think we can save the greetings for later." Amy stated as she walked forward, eyes transfixed on the large complex that was standing in front of them. "So this is the energy source?"

Nicole was the one to answer this time. "That's correct." She said, appearing in a flurry of green pixels.

"Not so fast you annoying inbreeds." This time, it was not Hook's voice projected into a sound system. It was from his own voice box. He appeared, standing on a small levitating platform similar to what Eggman would have used (seeing as it was his old facility, it makes sense). He looked quite well kept for an evil villain. "I do not see why you all continue to oppose me. My plan is already set in motion. Nothing will stop these bombs from going off at this point. If you wanted to stop me, you should have arrived sooner than three days."

"Under decree of the Kingdom of Acorn and her alliance with the free nations of Mobius, you are under arrest for war crimes and plots of genocide." Sally shouted out to the man. "Step down and do not resist and forcible action will not be taken."

"Do you honestly think a few threats from deformed occurrences such as yourselves would make me stop what I have placed in motion?" The man began to chuckle slightly.

"Alright then." Sally mumbled. "Julie-su?"

The echidna nodded with glee. She took the final bombs she had with her and armed them. Her cybernetic arm was able to place the bombs in quite the accurate trajectory. One bomb flew toward the now vulnerable central component of the energy source and the other was tossed right at Hook.

The bomb thrown at Hook exploded right underneath the platform he was standing on while the other was still on its way to the core. But in that short instant, something shot out and 'caught' the bomb before hitting the core. It exploded and the core was still intact.

"You could not possibly expect to take me out with such ease could you?" Hook said as his 'platform' was transforming into something much much more. Tendril mechanical-like 'arms' shot out from its undercarriage and its shape began to take the form of a large mechanical being. Multiple legs and supports sprouted to give it ground. Hook remained rested in the heart of the device as it grew into a fearful piece of last resort. "This last piece of salvation should do the trick for the next half hour or so before the bombs are ignited." He let out a snicker. "You're time on this planet is finished." One of the arms lashed out and struck right between the two recently adjoined parties. The now twelve members of resistance then took action against the final obstruction to saving the planet's population of Mobian life.

Those arms of the mechanical menace lashed out with great speed. Striking the ground with such an impact, it often left a small crater. It would not be a good day if one of those were to hit any of its targets. Omega and Julie-su tried to unleash some fire on the man behind the machine but it seemed his cockpit was protected by a barrier similar to the core except this time, they had no idea how to take it down.

Rouge Ray and Saffron flew around scouting about for a weak spot but simply could not determine one on their own accord. Mighty and Matilda used their strength to either swing long heavy objects at their enemy like a baseball bat or to chuck objects at it like they did at the reactors.

Amy would try to lure Hook into slamming one of his machine's arms her way then swiftly dodge aside and give a heavy hit with her hammer but it didn't seem to faze the thing. Antoine tried a similar tactic but no matter how sharp his blade was, he couldn't seem to slice through their opponent.

"We need to try and get to that core!" Sally concluded, figuring whether they were able to take down Hook's mechanized 'salvation' or not was not important. Time was important. Her Nicole Knuckles and Vector were left to try and figure out how to get past that thing.

They would try to make a diversion as one of the flyers would pick one of them up to get them close to the core, but the device Hook was utilizing was too quick to catch on and would smack them out of the sky. They tried to use Omega to launch a few of his rockets toward the core but Hook always seemed to shoot them down before they got close. Something had to be done though, they only had half an hour left according to the evil man.

As if time was on their side for once, another door opened and Sonic Bunnie Tails Shadow Charmy and Espio entered the fray.

Everyone gave a quick greeting, Sally shouted out to Sonic, Nicole did the same for Espio, Antoine toward Bunnie and Rouge toward Shadow. But it wasn't the place for reunions even if they had been separated for at least a day now.

"Just in time for the party I guess?" Sonic asked as he gazed upon Hook's defensive last resort. It gave the hedgehog a striking resemblance to one of Eggman's creations and a sinister grin developed on his face.

"Sonic, we need to take out the core of the energy source in the middle. We only have half an hour before Hook sets off the bombs!" Sally shouted in haste.

"Half an hour?!" Bunnie exasperated in shock and fear.

"Not a problem. That's practically a lifetime!" Sonic blurted out in over confidence. Zooming around the room, he tried to get a visualization of what option he should take.

Meanwhile, Tails joined Rouge and the other flyers in attacking Hook from the air. They'd often tried to clash with the arms constantly being flung at them or they'd take the safer route and try to drop something to draw attention away from the other attackers.

Shadow's chaos attacks unfortunately were not quite effective. Omega's attacks seemed to be the most effective but with every hit the machine would take, it seemed to only merely flinch.

Sonic screeched to a stop at some point to relay what he figured. "Guys! This looks like a renovated Ro'butt'nik robot. If that's the case, the joints of the legs should be where we need to focus on."

"If you think that's the case Sonic, I want half of you to focus on that while the rest still tries to get to the core!" Sally commanded.

"Omega, how many of those nifty bombs you got left?" Amy asked the large ally as they recently were sided back-to-back.

"Enough." He answered before firing at some of the 'arms' that slammed down right in front of the two.

"You focus on getting to the core." Amy demanded. The two split and Amy sided with the other ground forces as Omega moved on.

Bunnie was fluttering around firing shots at Hook. She noticed that though they were dispersed on that barrier of his, it created enough of a flash that it could impair his visual. Saffron Charmy Tails Rouge and Ray were able to find some minor explosives from the upper levels of the large room and tried to create small airstrikes on Hook and his device.

A good number of the others tried to get to the core. Nicole had relayed to Sally that if she was able to get into the system, she could override it to cause an overload while Omega's arsenal was still available for a less tactical approach. So that was their plan for the moment.

It seemed if anything was going to help them at this point it was their sheer numbers and team work. Sonic kept dashing around the robot, trying to find places to jump up to Hook's level. The flyers continued to try their airstrike but with all the flailing arms, the airspace was getting a bit crowded. Shadow regrouped with Omega as he felt most comfortable collaborating with his team. The others weren't quite unified yet as Hook's attacks kept dispersing them; he was quite the tactician knowing that keeping them separated was his only chance in delaying them for the next couple minutes.

They continued fighting and though likely only ten or fifteen minutes had pasted, it seemed much long than that. Any chance they had to communicate to come up with a single strategy was futile. It was at this that Nicole started thinking systematically – instead of everyone trying to get to the same goal, if smaller groups each had one goal that worked up toward that larger goal they might have better success. She broke over their COMs.

"Everyone, keep fighting but pay attention. We will not be able to all work together to get to that core. Hook is keeping us too detached for that to work. So we'll have to work in smaller groups. I need a group to make heavy hits on the joints of the supports of Hook's device." The word heavy hits diverted Amy, Omega, Mighty and Matilda to jump on the task. "Simultaneously I'll need someone to get Sonic to Hook." Sonic, Bunnie, Tails, Shadow and Espio moved on that task. "On another hand, I'll need someone to get me to the core. There is a system access point on the higher levels and closer to the core. If a few of you could work on just getting _someone_ up there with me in their possession, we should be good. Everyone else, continue with the distractions and keep Hook occupied."

At this, Knuckles, Sally, Julie-Su, Antoine, and Vector – who were all closest together – figured they'd be the ones to collaborate. It was almost perfect for the other flyers to keep up with the distractions. "That arm of yours is still able to be put to good use Su?" Knuckles asked with a sneer.

"What do you have in mind?"

Meanwhile, Mighty and Matilda were smashing and tearing away at the joints of Hook's armament. Omega and Amy were doing their own to try and weaken them. Sonic and Shadow were scaling and dashing around an upper level trying to get closer to Hook. With Bunnie and Tails as their air support they began to make some progress moving toward him. Espio kept himself concealed while he was trying to drop down to Hook from a rafter that hung overhead.

Vector and Antoine moved Sally Knuckles and Julie-su through some of the paths and stairs that circled the large room. With any kind of shots or attacks sent their way, Vector and Antoine kept good at bodyguards as they inched forward. "We only have approximately ten minutes left Sally." Nicole had fear in her voice.

"Don't worry girlfriend. We'll get there." Sally said with confidence.

"I think we're close enough." Julie su said and the group stopped.

"Alright, Sally I will need to take Nicole." Knuckles said as he extended his hand to receive the handheld. Antoine and Vector stood guard.

Sally was quite reluctant to let go of her friend but she knew this was it. It was either this or nothing. "Take care of her." She said and handed Nicole off to Knuckles.

Julie su got ready and grabbed Knuckles' wrist in her right hand and his ankle in her left cybernetic arm. She moved quickly though for her cybernetic arm could bear the weight, her biological one was not as strong. "Smooth sailing Knux." She quickly twirled and forcing much of her power in her cybernetic arm, she propelled the red echidna forward and launched him toward the core.

Bunnie, seeing the group collaborating at a distance figured this would be an important time to impair Hook's visual. She began rapidly firing some shots at the force field surrounding the man. She was hoping the glare would be enough to throw him off from the other plans. Nearly simultaneously the ground crew made sufficient damage on one of the legs and the retrofitted Eggman machine flinched and staggered a bit. With this, Espio dropped down on the small cockpit-like area of Hook and began ripping apart any kind of wires and machinery that could disable the force field. Sonic and Shadow took this time and made it right up to the man. The force field blipped in and out and the two hedgehogs landed, with timing of the flickering shield, right on Hook's platform. The two drew back a fist and threw it into the man at the same time causing him to fly back off the platform and land hard on the ground beneath. Rouge then dropped down from above and tried to pilot the machine so it wouldn't crash on anyone below.

Knuckles, with his gliding ability, was able to fly through the air and landed on the platform Nicole directed him toward. "Alright Knuckles, hurry and plug me in! Seven minutes!" She shouted.

With Hook on the ground and his machine taken out, the fighters could finally regroup. A few of them, Sonic Shadow and Bunnie, approached Hook. "Your game's through old man."

The man stumbled over his words for a moment after having the wind knocked out of him from the fall but soon enough began to speak. "God willing the death of you infectionous beings. But just like a virus, you'll stop at nothing to ensure you survive."

"Excuse me but I'm pretty sure you just described all of life." Sonic retorted as he moved over and placed a foot on the man's chest to keep him from moving or getting up. "You're the one trying to kill us off."

"I do not give a fuck what you say. From the time of the Xorda Attack, you are nothing but mutations in the Earth's natural ecosystem and you all should be returned to the grabbling rodents at which your ancestors first encountered the waste from the Gene Bombs."

"Ah don't know what bad fruit you ate this morning but last time I checked this was the year 3243. Those Xorda dropped the Gene Bombs some ten thousand years ago. Your twisted fascism is a little outdated." Bunnie mentioned.

"Even the Overland Nations find your views backward. You are literally the only one with these ideas." Shadow mentioned.

Hook let out a little chuckle. "Do you believe so? Half the world was on the brink of civil war last time I checked."

"Can it! That wasn't a global mindset. That was fear brought on by your terroristic acts!" Shadow shouted.

"I don't need any of your aggression. Your time here is through regardless."

"I don't think so bub. We got the smartest of A.I.s on the task. Your reverse gene bombs are duds." Sonic answered back, pressing his foot farther down onto Hook as his anger began to grow toward the genocidal maniac he was speaking with. "Like Sally said, you're going to be arrested and locked up for a while. And I don't think a lot of Mobian prisoners and guardsmen are going to have the slightest bit of empathy toward you." He sneered with a malicious grin showing a complete reversal in his usual attitude toward any living being. His disdain for the man was quite apparent at this point.

"Even if a world rid of you vermin is mere moments away, I refuse to be considered taken out by you." Hook began to squirm around for a moment which threw Sonic off guard. The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a small capsule.

"It's a cyanide pill!" Shadow shouted as he reached down to try and take it from Hook; they weren't going to let him off that easy.

But it was too late. He shoved it in his mouth and bit down. In a final moment, he mumbled. "I'll see you soon Gregory." Then he began to convulse. The trio stepped away from him and watched in horror as Hook was now twitching and contorted uncontrollably. The convulsions lasted only a few seconds before the energy cycle in his body was so disrupted that his body wouldn't move any more. His body already shut down, he will be dead in the next couple minutes.

"Oh mah stars." Bunnie called out.

Sonic bowed his head and turned away. "Sally, Hook's done. What's the word on the reactor."

"Nicole?" Sally forwarded the message as for once she was not directly by her side.

"….." There wasn't a response from the lynx.

"Nicole!" Sally asked more promptly.

"I….I can't stop it."

It was heard from the loud speakers in the room as she answered from inside the system. Everyone froze. It wasn't likely that in the next minute or two, something would change. If Nicole, inside the system herself, couldn't find a way to stop it then no one else could.

"Nicole, are you sure?" Sally asked with grievance.

Omega began to arm himself. "Preparing to unload entire arsenal." He proclaimed.

"That won't do anything. Even if this entire room blew up right now, it won't stop the bombs from going off." Nicole answered back. "I already shut down the core. The energy build up prior to my invasion of the system was too high. Even after I shut it down it reciprocated pent up energy similarly to a capacitor. The bombs are fully charged and will ignite in approximately one minute and fifty three seconds."

It was the most silence any of the collaborative group heard in the past three days. They were done. Saffron was already crying onto Charmy's shoulder. Mighty Matilda and Ray held each other close. Vector even showed some affection to the pink echidna next to him as Knuckles remained suspended across the room near the access port he slipped Nicole into. Rouge clenched onto Shadow's arms as little tremors in the dark hedgehog resonated through his body. Amy plopped down on her hammer and dropped her head in her hands sobbing. Sonic moved over and comforted her. Antione slid next to Sally and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. Bunnie was next to Tails and she slipped her hand into his grasp. Espio stood alone, clinging onto Nicole's words.

"I can't believe it." Rouge said, breaking the silence. It was a sobering moment. They've come so far, spent three days navigating a retrofitted underground bunker, took out a deadly assassin and stopped the man who created a device to perform mass genocide. But it was all for nothing. What about their loved ones back home? Their parents. Brothers. Sisters. Other friends. Rotor was back at Acorn. Elias, Mina, Uncle Chuck, Hope, hell even Julie su was thinking of Lien-da. They failed them. They failed their species. They failed Mobius…

"Sally." Nicole said with urgency. It seemed all ears in the room perked up as her tone in that one address spoke of something else; hope. "No time to explain but there is still a chance. No time for debate or discussion, I've already initiated the process. But… I… just want to say thank you."

"Nicole, what are you talking about?" Sally's confusion also held the sounds of fear. At this, Nicole's image was projected into the air through the complex's systems she overran.

"You've been more than a friend than any being, biological or artificial, deserves. I have forever been in your debt and right now, I'll be repaying that debt."

"Nicole, what are you talking about!?" The princess had tears flooding her eyes.

"Espio," the lynx moved on knowing her time – everyone's time – was short. "I love you so very much. I am sorry for leaving you. I couldn't bear to live with you gone by Hook's bombs… I just hope you can bear without me."

The chameleon's expression was a distraught one. He didn't even care about the few perplexing looks his surrounding teammates were giving him at the lynx open confession.

"And everyone, you all have been so kind. Please live with prosperity." She concluded.

"Nicole! What is going on!" Sally shouted out in despair.

"On board the Death Egg, you sacrificed yourself Sally to save everyone from roboticization. I've done nearly the same. I've reconfigured the Gene Bombs to a singularity that I myself encompass." A large timer arose above the projected lynx's head. Ten seconds. "I do not know if this will work… but it is our last chance. It has been a wonderful… life." She said thinking of the best word to describe her existence as the AI. The lynx's figure disappeared but the clock remained. A click with each counting second. More silence ensued.

Three….

Two….

One…

The complex began to shake uncontrollably and a good few of them lost their footing. "Is this supposed to happen?" Sonic called out. Suddenly a white flash spread through the room. Then, nothing.

"…."

"…."

"…."

"…."

"…Sally?..."

"…Taaaiiilllsss…."

"…."

"Sonic?... Is that you?"

"…."

"Yeah, it's me. Are we….?"

"I don't know…. I…think."

"…."

"Sonic! Tails!"

"Amy!"

"…Would you all shut up."

"Damn Shadow's here. Does that mean we're in hell?"

"Sonic, cut that out!"

"Sal!"

"Wait a minute, I've felt this before…"

"Knuckles?"

"Aur….Aurora?"

"..."

"…..No way….."

"So that means we are….."

"…."

"…."

"Guys, wait! I see something!"

"Hey, I see it too. But…"

"…."

The blanket of blinding white soon began to fade. The vague mechanical structures and components of Security Outpost 057 were starting to form. A few short moments later and the group of forces were all standing next to each other beneath the core of the Reverse Gene Bombs. "How did we get down here?" Antoine asked looking over at Sally. But before any speculation could take place, a large orb of light began to descend before the group. They could only stand in awe.

As the orb got close to the ground, it too began to dissipate and revealed a brown figure. Black tufts on the ears and black hands and feet. The rest of the energy surrounding the figure snapped away as Nicole fell limp to the floor. Espio was the first to run up and catch her followed immediately by Sally and the others.

"Nicole!" He shouted. He gently cradled her in his arms. "Nicole…" He buried his head into her neck. Vector slowly placed a comforting hand on Espio's shoulder.

Suddenly her eyelids twitched. She blinked a bit then slowly tried to open her eyes. "Nicole!" Sally shouted.

Espio jerked his head back to see Nicole weakly smiling at him. "Hey Espy." She cooed. The chameleon broke down in happiness. The rest of the group too was filled with joy. Tears were forming in a few of their eyes. More notably the Freedom Fighters than Chaotix and especially Team Dark but the sentiment was felt all around.

"I don't believe this!" Tails called out.

"How…" Sally said as she was bent over the lynx as well. She wiped a tear from her eye.

"I… I feel weird." She said frail and hesitantly.

"Where's the handheld?" Espio asked. "Someone get to the handheld and check on her!" But the chameleon was stopped as Nicole grabbed his hand and placed it on her bare chest. He froze in bafflement. "Nicole, I don't–"

"Do you feel that Espio?" She smiled.

Espio's eyes grew massive as he muttered, "…is that…a heartbeat?" The lynx nodded lightly and smiled then suddenly slipped out of consciousness. "Nicole!"

"It'll be alright sugh. She's been through a lot. Let her rest." Bunnie answered.

"I don't get it, how could…" Sally said at the marvel that had happened.

"Does that mean Nicole is… _real_ now?" Sonic inquired.

"Like she said, she did the same thing as Sally did on the Death Egg and that roboticized her." Tails said glancing over to Sally. "Do you think the same thing could have happened?"

"We'll need Dr. Quack to check up on her." Sally concluded.

"Then we should vacate ze complex and regroup with ze outside forces, non?" Antoine suggested.

"Agreed. We'll take turns carrying Nicole."

"Umm, not to be a buzz kill but I sure as hell do not know the way back. Nicole was the one in charge of directions." Vector cut in making a very valid point.

"Guys, look what I found!" Charmy said as he fluttered down from a higher level. He carried Nicole's old handheld in tow. The device was seared and blacked as it probably took a bit of damage.

Rouge turned to Omega. "Hey big guy, if that thing is still intact, you think you could get some of the nav files from that thing and show us a quick way out?"

"Affirmative."

The group looked around at each other. "We might as well give it a shot." Sonic concluded seeing as there wasn't a whole lot they could do at that point. "Let's do it to it."


	30. Epilogue

Still a Need for Heroes

Epilogue:

It has been a few months now since the conclusion of the _Research Affairs_. The trio of allied forces entered the complex of Security Outpost 057 those weeks ago as the world's last hope to shut out a great evil. And nearly four excruciating days later they arose. Tired, beaten, sore and injured, but most importantly alive. And for one, more so than ever before.

The convoys paraded toward them for extraction as the crew waited outside the outpost gates. Cheers were heard much louder than the roar of the approaching engines. They did not wait for celebration as waking up to a new day was proof enough of their success.

The planes brought each party back to their respective nation after recuperating at the FOB; Team Dark to the U.F., The Chaotix to the Echidna Nation, and the Freedom Fighters to Acorn.

Salutes, crowds, cheers. Handshakes, hugs, kisses. Parents reunited with their children, both happy to see the others still living. New lovers passionately adjoined with paparazzi causing their cameras to explode at the reaction. A blonde Overlander girl nearly tackling a Mobian hero and platonic companion in an embrace – a true meaning of the worth of the fight against Hook. A young step-brother running to see his Guardian sibling. Kings with no care for reserve anymore breaking down at the sight of his warrior princess sister. And a new Mobian walking out to a new world and a new life.

Time had passed since but the effects still remained. There was still a small population that cried for segregation but those numbers and that idea was crumbing with each passing day; it wouldn't be long before things were back to normal. A full effort to dismantle any remains of all Robotnik facilities was underway. And a new system was put into place to substitute the now _Genuine Intelligent_ being that was in prior management.

Things have settled enough for a King to step down and pass on the crown. The dream for a simpler life in the native woods of his wife never died while his replacement was sure to be an effective one: leading on multiple accounts to save their lovely planet of Mobius. The coronation of King Sonic and Queen Sally was to take place in the next few days.

And while the lives continued for the Freedom Fighters, for Team Dark, and for The Chaotix – moving on to things such as sprouting love, plans for family, career prospects, or even simple down time. Much simpler than fighting wars in the face of sure hostility – and whether the next wave of peace would last for years, decades, centuries, or longer, one fact remained. There would always be a need for heroes.


End file.
